By Owen West
Saying goodbye to summer camps, afternoons at the pool, sports in the neighborhood, timeouts and starting a new school year can be exciting, nerve racking, and expensive. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be expensive, with a few tips and tricks used by the most experienced of school goers we all can save money on back to school shopping.
1. Make a list of what each child needs
Many schools will provide parents with lists of what the child needs for the school year. The list can be a great place to start but don’t forget about clothing, shoes, and other things they need for school that wont be included on the list. Even if the school doesn’t provide you with a list just write out what the child will need for the first few months of school.
2. Inventory what you have
Everyone made due last year and it’s a matter of finding what you have and assessing its condition. Much of the school equipment may be under a bed long forgotten about, but the effort of finding it is well worth it. Go through the list writing what they have, its condition, and if your child would use it next year.
3. Categorize by needs and wants
Some items on the list will be “must haves”, others will be “wants”, and a few will be “wants real bad”. Go threw the list item by item and determine if it needs to be purchased now. Making a detailed list can be a pain, but is well worth it in terms of savings and shopping ease.
4. Do your research
Keep an eye out for ads from your local retailers. The ads are available in newspapers, online, and in the front of the store. Collect the ads and go through them looking for your “must haves” and “wants real bad”.
5. Shop everywhere
Searching online and in dollar stores will let you get more for your money. Great deals can be found on Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and even through Google searches. Be careful, Walmart.com may have significantly lower prices than Walmart stores and the local stores wont price match the website. Amazon.com also features used items and you can buy for much cheaper. Dollar stores may have a bad reputation, but give them a try, you’ll be surprised that they have similar quality items for much cheaper.
6. Shop at the right times
Many states have a sales tax holiday on school supplies for a small period of time. You can see if your state has a tax holiday at: taxadmin.org (http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/sales_holiday.html)
7. Stick to the list!
Resist going off your list or buying more than a few months worth. Stores are designed to make you purchase more than you planned, you will be temped and the aisle is not the place to make buying decisions. Don’t try to buy for the whole year, but if you do, keep the extra in a safe place where it wont get ruined, lost, or misused.
8. Don’t open it!
Don’t let your kids rip the tags off their new cloths or open up all the new packages of school supplies before school starts. Keep the receipts together and return anything that won’t get used. This also gives you more time to find better deals, or you just may find out the school provides some materials.
9. Minimize daily spending
Lunches, transportation, and other daily expenditures can really add up fast. Figure out what it costs you to make a box lunch and see if its better to go with the school provided lunches. Carpooling or having your kids take the bus to school can also save a lot of money in gas.
10. Do-it-yourself
Taking the time to make or update things at home will save you money and bring life back to old items. You can print their favorite things on iron-on, sticker, or plain paper and then put it on t-shirts, folders, lunch boxes, or anything. Intsructables.com has step-by-step guides to tons of do-it-yourself projects.
