Yup, it’s about that time kids, back to school! Seems like summer just started but the new school year is just around the corner. According to National Retail Federation’s annual survey, parents will spend more than $600 on one child! This means parents will be scrambling around to find the best back to school deals and saving tips this year. Consider some of these tips to help you save this back to school season.
Take Inventory
What does your child currently have? Have your kids try on what they have and make a list of what is needed. Take this time to also do some cleaning. Set aside a bag of lost cause items that are damaged and worn-out, and a bag of donation items to drop off at a local charity. For the items you do end up buying focus on items that are basic and can be mixed and matched. Also keep in mind, although they are basic items, an outfit can be spruced up with accessories and made into a whole new outfit. Also take inventory of school supplies you may already have. I can recall a number of times when I was younger that I would come across extra supplies at home from the previous years shopping.
Reuse and Save
With the web at our finger tips there are many outlets for sparking ideas on how to reuse items you already have. A good tip to consider is to invest in good sturdy items. Take a backpack for example. You may end up spending less now, but will also get less quality potentially costing you more in the long run. Look for fun ideas online for how to spruce up simple supplies into some those pricier trendy supplies at the store. This can additionally be a fun activity for your kids by setting a day to design your own school supplies like backpacks, pencils and journals (the photo to the left shows a cute back pack for less, and a good quality backpack with a patch added!). You can also invest into reusable bags like Lunchskins for school lunches, instead of constantly buying sandwich bags.
Shopping Deals
Want to get the best deals? ShopSmart found that Walmart was number one in providing the lowest prices for basic back to school shopping. Target followed closely behind it. Take advantage of price matching as well and save the hassle of driving around. Both Walmart and Target provide price match, just bring the other stores ad. If you are located in one of these 17 states you can also take advantage of sales-tax holidays. Have a kid in high school or college? See if any stores offer discounts with showing their student ID, a couple of the mall jobs I worked at in my teens gave anywhere from 10-15% for a student discount with the show of your student I.D.
Do you have any savings tips for this back to school season? Come across any good deals? Be sure to share any comments and questions with us!
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*The information in this article has been provided strictly for educational purposes.
