Going back to school can be expensive. According to an article on PersonalCapital.com, “Back to school can cost families of five upward of $3,000 for supplies and extracurricular activities.” The article lists seven ways to save on back to school expenses, including:
- “Reuse and repurpose school supplies”
Many school supplies such as pencils, scissors, binders, backpacks and lunch bags can be reused from previous school years.
- “Shop off-season for kids’ clothes”
You can save a lot of money by buying quality clothing at huge markdown prices by buying at the end of each season for clothes to wear the next year. Buy summer clothes this fall and winter clothes next spring.
- “Use apps to compare prices”
Personal Capital suggests using an app such as the Favado app to compare prices at different stores in your area.
CBSNews.com also lists some great money-saving strategies, including:
- “Hold off on generic school supplies”
CBS News quotes Jon Lal of BeFrugal.com, who says “For more generic items like paper, pencils and folders, prices will typically drop at the last minute late in the season.”
- “Price match cheap school supply deals”
If you shop at stores that have a price-matching policy, like Wal-Mart, you can purchase all of your supplies in one place.
- “Shop during a tax holiday”
Try to buy your higher priced items like computers, calculators and backpacks on the tax-free holiday in your state to save more money.
More great tips for saving money on back-to-school shopping can be found on RealSimple.com:
- “Focus on big-ticket items”
Put most of your energy and time in finding the best prices for the expensive items like computers, calculators and backpacks.
- “Follow your favorite stores”
Real Simple says author Chrissy Pate “suggests keeping track of your favorite retailers’ deals by following them on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter”. “Then use those coupons in conjunction with sales to really get the biggest bang for your buck.”
- “Shop at consignment sales”
Group consignment sales are a great way to buy quality clothing for less. Real Simple suggests visiting KidsConsignmentSales.com, where you can find a national directory of consignment sales.
To save money each back-to-school season, try following some of the tips mentioned above. If you need help funding your back-to-school needs, Contact Global Loans today!