To signal the end of the summer, students all over the United States get their list of supplies for the next school year. The list can be quite daunting and it can easily get very expensive. There are many tips and tricks to bring that bill down. Here are a few:
- Buy a year ahead. If you have any idea what your child will need next year, buy what you can when school supplies go on sale in September.
- Shop around. Look up sales online and go to different stores, not just your usual box store.
- Buy off-brand. Sometimes you may have to sacrifice on quality, but not usually. When it is something like crayons or markers that your child will use up anyway, what does the brand matter?
- Buy in bulk. Go in with other parents in your class to buy supplies in bulk so everyone gets their supplies cheaper.
- Shop without your kids. Shopping without your kids keeps you on task and avoids buying extra stuff or the pressure to buy more expensive stuff.
- Use coupons. Search for coupons online for your supplies.
- Shop during your state’s tax-free weekends. Nineteen states have tax-holidays during the back to school season. You can find them listed here.
- Use discounted gift cards. There are several sites online where you can purchase unused gift cards at a discount. If you know you will be shopping a lot at a particular store, it would be worth looking it up.
School supplies can get really expensive. With tips like the ones above, you can save some cash and get your kid back to school well-supplied.
