How to Save $$$ on School Supplies
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
The new school year is almost here! Does buying back to school supplies leave you feeling broke? It doesn’t have to. Here are simple ways to save money on all those back to school essentials.
Shop at Home First
Before you head to the store, take a walk around your house to see if there are any items on your child’s school supply list that you might already have. Things like rulers, pencil boxes, calculators and backpacks do not need to be replaced each year, so don’t be afraid to reuse last year’s if it’s still in good shape.
Tip: Instead of buying pencils and pens, send your child back to school with the free ones that businesses hand out (you know the ones that are currently taking up space in your junk drawer).
Shop Around
10-cent crayons, 5-cent folders, 50-cent binders – stores fight hard for your back to school dollars, and that’s great news for you. Watch the weekly sales circulars closely; then, cherry pick the best buys from each store. Remember: Just because store X wants you to spend all of your back to school dollars at their store, doesn’t mean you have to; so get those 10-cent crayons, and get out.
Tip: Shop at a store that offers price matching, and you won’t have to burn up extra gas to get the good deals at other stores.
Only Buy What You Need
Once you’re in the store, all those fun extras can be tempting – colored pens, locker accessories, self-stick notes, the list stretches on and on – but chances are, your back to school budget doesn’t. To avoid overspending, determine how you’ll handle your child’s requests for non-essentials before you head out to shop.
Some Ways to Handle Your Child’s Requests:
- Allow one extra purchase
- Have your child foot the bill for anything that’s not on the list
- Have your child pay the difference between what you’re willing to buy, and what they want to buy
- Refuse to give in to the request. It may not make you popular, but it is a chance to teach smart money management
