Back to School Shopping- How to Save Money

Where has the summer gone and how are the kids already back to school? Summer is soon to be out and the first day of the school year is nearly here. For those of us who just got the summer schedule down, it is time to change things up again. First on the list is back to school shopping!

There are numerous back to school budgeting tips and tricks to save money on all the school supplies, clothes, classroom materials and more.

This article will cover:

• Where to begin
• Finding the best deals
• Shopping second hand (and renting sport equipment)
• Shopping out of season
• Friend clothing / item swap
• Enlisting the children’s help
• Invest in reusable items

Where to begin

When determining where to begin when shopping for back to school items, take a few factors into consideration.

• Is there a list of required and recommended items on a school list?
• Have you taken inventory of items you may already have at home or items which can be reused?
• Can items be shared between siblings or passed along throughout the years?
• Do all of these items have to be purchased right now? If not, which items can wait until a later time?

Once you have answered these questions above, it is time to outline a budget. If you have not already created a budget, consider starting one this school year!

Determine if each child should have their own budget or if all back to school expenses should funnel into one budget item. Additionally, if you want to break down items further, consider if they fall into categories like clothing, food, etc.

Finding the best deals

There are a variety of places to find ‘steals and deals’ for back to school items. We are particular to running to places like the Dollar Store for popular school items like folders, binders, pencils, erasers, pens, crayons, basic calculator, scissors and fun decorations.

The Dollar Store also has great budget friendly items for teachers as well like poster board, flash cards, hole punches and decoration themes like Dr. Seuss! For children who may have a locker for the first time, the Dollar Store is the perfect place to find items to deck it out! Stores like Aldi and Target often have super saver items in their deal sections as well.

Below are some current deals for this years back to school shopping. There are both online and in store discounts listed.

• Staples– Receive a $10 gift when you spend $50 with code ‘10718’.
  • Additionally, teachers can receive a 5% off spendings both in store and online!
• Kohls – Earn Kohls cash towards future purchases. (Deals change regularly)
• JCPenney – Earn additional rewards towards future purchases when shopping in store and online. These can be redeemed for a variety of items.
• OldNavy – Earn up to 35% off you online order.
• TJMaxx and Sierra Trading Post– Shop for designer brands and shoes at a discounted price.

#mom-to-mom tip: If you are shopping online, consider signing up for store emails! Some companies (i.e. Khols) will give you a percentage off of your order when you sign up for emails. Remember you can always unsubscribe from a company’s email list at a later time.

Shopping secondhand and renting sports equipment

Check out local resale shops like Kid-to-Kid, Goodwill and Salvation Army. Specific children’s clothing stores may have specific standards before purchasing gently used clothing to resell. At our local stores we often find clothes which have the tags on them.

Other cities may have local resale shops targeted towards specific items like sporting goods. At our local resale center, I found items like bats, hats, gently used cleats and other miscellaneous sporting equipment which had barely been (or never been) worn. Also, there are some stores which may allow seasonal rentals for sporting equipment.

Shop Out of Season

One of my top tips for saving money on both back to school shopping specifically relates to kids clothing. Try to shop out of season!

If you have a good idea of how quickly your child is growing (or maybe they are staying the same size), buy clothes which on sale for the current season. For example, clothes at Walmart and Costco tend to have steep discounts towards the end of the season in order to clear their shelves. If your child is a size 2T this summer, buy summer clothes for next year in a size 3T!

Friend Clothing / Item Swap

Do you have friends who are a year or two ahead of your children? Do their children have a similar taste in clothes or sports? If they do not have children who will be utilizing their clothes or gently used items like backpacks or sports gear, consider swapping items with a friend! It ends up saving money and ensures the items are used for longer before they are recycled or disposed of.

Enlisting the Children’s Help

There are multiple ways to help children have a say in their back to school items. Two ways we like to help children make choices for back to school shopping depends on their age.

Firstly, we like to support our toddler by allowing her to pick one of two choices. This helps her with decision making skills and keeps her engaged in the process.

Secondly, we plan on using the envelope budget method with our children in the future. For this, children are provided their budgeted allotment of money along with a list items they must purchase for back to school shopping.

Because of this, they have thee opportunity to practice conscious money spending skills to make all their items fit within their budget. Finally, by teaching budgeting habits from a young age it can take away any intimidation one may feel from understanding how to allocate money.

Invest in Reusable Items

There are plenty of reusable back to school items for children. For example, by using a reusable water bottle and bringing a packed homemade lunch, one can save an estimated $3,000 per year. Additionally, these items can be passed along to each child, especially if they are a neutral color and pattern.

What are your favorite tips to save money on back to school shopping?