10 Tips for Back-to-School Savings

10 Tips for Back-to-School Savings

It's that time of  year again.  School is just around the corner which ushers in the 2nd biggest retail shopping time of the year.  According to the National Retail Federation, the average family with children in grades K-12 will spend $688.62 on clothes, supplies & electronics up from $603.63 last year.  Total sales are estimated to be over $30.3 billion!

So how can you save on back to school clothes, supplies & electronics?  I have 10 tips to share with you that can save you big bucks!

1.  Shop at home first!  Before you go out shopping to fulfill teachers' lists, check what you have left from last year.  Pencils, pens, paper & binders can often be used for more then 1 year.  Take inventory of everything you have on hand.  Same goes for clothes.  Have your children try on their clothes to see what still fits them.  We only buy what's needed to start the school year since children tend to outgrow their clothes & shoes half way through the year.  It actually works out great, since that half way point falls around the holidays(or slightly after) when you can score some awesome deals!
2.  Make a list and a budget and keep it with you at all times!  You never know when you might stumble across a great deal while your out.
3. Shop around town and don't limit yourself to one store!  Many stores will offer what the retail industry calls “loss leaders,” such as notebooks and pens for pennies on the dollar, as a way to lure you into the store(with hopes that you'll grab a big ticket item too...resist!).  Watch for flyers and advertisements from big-box stores like Walmart, Target, Staples and Office Depot for their specials.
4. Sign up for e-mail alerts from your favorite discounters and be ready to jump when you get one. Many will offer one-day specials. Keep an eye on Twitter and Facebook for those offers, also.
5. Buy in bulk. This is a good time of the year to stock up on supplies you’ll need all year and many items come with deep discounts when they’re bought in bulk. Don’t want to have the stuff sitting around the house for the entire school term? Find a neighbor, friend or family member who will split the spoils.
6. Wait till after Labor Day — or even later — to find deeper discounts, especially on clothes, as retailers look to unload unsold inventory, cutting 50% to 75% off full price.
7.  Go to coupons sites like Coupons.com, Savings.com, CouponCabin.com or MyCoupons.com to download coupons that match your needs. Remember that most retailers also will offer coupons on their own sites.
8. Consider alternative means of collecting the goods you need. Look at second-hand shops and garage sales, which often sell never-worn clothes and items, even with the tags still on. 
9. Many states have tax-free holidays around the start of school. Make sure to check whether your state has a tax free holiday and go shopping during those times.(PA is not one of them)
10. Most importantly-- Stick to what is Needed!  Stick to your list! Your kids will try to convince you that they have to have a certain item when they see it. If you already have the final list and the item is not on it you can easily explain to your kids that it is not really needed. 

Live Frugal.  Live Happy.