Back to school: 5 smart ways to save

It’s hard to believe that we’re beginning a new school year already.

It’s funny, I always think about stuff like food and clothing but don’t often think about the necessity and cost involved with stuff like school supplies, after all it was something my mom always just took care of. There’s no doubt that proper school supplies are expensive but there are, like most things, way to save.

REUSE

I used to beg my mom for a “space case” every year and most times she’d say no since there was nothing wrong with my old one. Since she was buying I didn’t have much room for argument but she was right. If there is something that can be reused (zipper binders, book bags, math sets,pencil cases) do it! If your kids take care of their stuff there’s no need to re-buy everything each year.

BUY USED

There is often no need to buy brand new text books. Unless the texts were changed entirely, and they rarely are, you could always get away with using an edition one to two years old.

STOCK UP

If there’s a really great sale on an item you’ll know you’ll use (like paper and pens) stock up for a few years. Obviously this is space limited for certain items.

SHOP THE SALES

Pay attention to local sales and shop around. A lot of larger box stores will not only price match but beat by 5-10% with can add up to a large savings in the long run especially if you have more than one kid!

BUY YEAR ROUND

For things like school clothes, I find the best sales for clothes to be after Christmas and end of season. Though this is often an expensive time of year anyway, if you can, it may save you money for upcoming school years.

School definitely isn’t free, there are plenty of costs involved from supplies, clothes and projects year-round. If you have time to properly plan what, when and where you’ll buy certain things though, it could save you a ton of money!

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