Back to School: 7 Ways to Save Money

Sharing is caring!

How many of you dread this time of year? All the sales but where to start?

I remember the first year I purchased school supplies as a mother. It was when my oldest started Kindergarten. I was so excited and could not wait to shop and collect all of his supplies, the new backpack and lunch box, shoes and clothes. I was stoked.

By the end of that experience I understood why some parents ordered supplies in packages from the school. It can be so exhausting. Especially when you’re searching for the best deal.

Add the shoes and clothes to that and it can be as expensive as Christmas.

Here are some back to school tips to help you make this year’s  shopping experience as easy as possible.

back to school tips

Back to School Tips: Ways to Save Money

1) Back to School shopping should start with a good shopping list. Check to see if your child’s school has a list by grade. If not, make a list of some of the basics that you will likely need until your child gets a better list from their teacher. It is ok not to have everything they need on the first day of school!

2) Once you have your list, start shopping at home. Do you have half a box of #2 pencils from last year? Or maybe you have some binders that can be reused from previous years. Gather what you have already and mark those items off your list.

3) If you start early enough, you don’t necessarily have to get it all in one shopping trip and pay whatever price the store is offering at the moment. If you watch the sales for stores like Office Max, Staples , Toys R Us and others, you can find very cheap, if not FREE, school supplies this time year.

4) Many kids want personalized notebooks and folders, or items with their favorite characters. These can be a lot more costly than a plain notebook. Instead, buy some stickers and markers and let them personalize their own notebooks.

back to school tips

5) Take advantage of the Tax Free Weekend in some states to save a little extra on back to school purchases. Go HERE to find the list of states who participate and the dates they are participating in 2013.

6) Many companies who sell school supplies, like Crayola and Bic, have some great coupons available this time of year. Be sure to search their sites before heading out to go shopping. Stores like Target will also have lots of school related coupons on their site that can be used along with all of their great sales.

7) Don’t get overwhelmed with your back to school shopping this year. This can encourage over-spending. With a little planning, you won’t be standing in the long lines the night before school getting your last-minute supplies.

How do you save money on back to school?

More on Back to School

 

4 Comments

  1. Wonderful tips! My kids are still too young for school, but I will definitely remember these for the future! Thanks for linking up to Pin It Tuesday! 🙂

    1. Agree 100%. Backpacks, scissors, rulers, etc., are all things that can be used over and over again. 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *