Back-to-school season is stressful for a number of reasons, one of them being how expensive this time of year can be. The average U.S. parent can expect to spend $253 on clothing and accessories getting their children ready for the new school year—and that’s not including shoes or computer-related equipment. Use these five tips to make the process less stressful (while minimizing the pain to your wallet).
Tip 1: Make a list!
You’d be surprised at just how much those impulse buys are costing you. Before you head out to the store, take a moment to look at your child’s class syllabus (or the provided school supplies list) and decide what’s absolutely necessary.
You can also ask the parents of older students for advice or check with your teenage children about what actually came in handy during previous school years. This will help you narrow down your shopping list. And if you’re unsure about an item, wait to buy it until the urgency of back-to-school shopping season has passed. Sales and discounts are enticing, but they can also cause you to spend. Buying your children what they need as they need it will save you from making unnecessary purchases.
Tip 2: Recycle! Recycle! Recycle!
While you are making your list, check to see what you already have in your house. Saving school supplies from previous years is a great opportunity to teach your children how to be resourceful.
But last season doesn’t need to mean out of style: Make reusing old binders and folders fun by decorating them with stickers or drawings. Have a scavenger hunt to gather extra paper or half-used notebooks. Put your children’s names on their pencil pouch, books and other items to give them an extra sense of ownership and let them know that it is their responsibility to keep track of their things.
Tip 3: Bargain Hunt
Before visiting any stores, look online for the price range of each item on your list. Then, check your closest dollar or discount store for school supplies first. Buying everything you can at a discounted price will save you money for items only available at full price online or at traditional retail stores.
For even more savings, do a quick search online for exclusive deals or coupons before you shop. You’d be surprised at how much you can save. Also, some states have tax holidays during the back-to-school season. Check your local newspaper or look online and time your shopping accordingly.
Tip 4: Use Your Network
Talk to other parents and ask them where they’ve found the best deals on back-to-school supplies. You can also ask if they have any old supplies that they would be willing to give you instead of throwing them away. If your child wears a uniform, talk to parents of older children and ask them if they have any used uniforms they could give you as a hand-me-down. If the sizing doesn’t work for your child, find out where you could buy a uniform at a discounted price.
Tip 5: Combine
While it can be tempting to try and organize your child’s classwork by buying a binder or notebook for each class, consider buying multi-subject notebooks and binders instead. In the long run, this will cut down on costs and make things easier for your children. They will only have to focus on keeping up with one binder or notebook in comparison to keeping track of five. Plus, it’ll take up less room and weigh less in their backpack.
