Stay on a Budget with Back to School Shopping

Like clockwork, back to school shopping is one event that will always come around in those last few weeks and days of summer. It has parents scrambling to not only get the necessary school supplies, but also to find them on a budget. The good news is that stores are competing for your business and will try to outbid one another. The bad news is, you might have to sift through some bad deals and think creatively in order to find the best deal. Follow these tips below to not only make your back to school shopping easier, but less expensive, too. 

The back to school season is a competitive one for stores. Because everyone is shopping at that time, stores want the business, and there are enough shoppers buying lots of supplies, the back to school shopping season yields some great deals for shoppers. Look in your local papers, online, and even by physically going to several stores to see what stores have to offer the back to school shopper. Some stores might even offer price matching or price beating if you can bring in proof of the other stores prices. Be a savvy shopper and spend some extra time shopping to find the best deal. Get the necessary back to school supply list early and get the most from shopping around. 

Take a quick look around your home. Do you have extra pens, pencils, notebooks, or construction paper lying around? If so, you won’t need to buy these things. Likewise, perhaps your friends and family members have extra items around their homes that they can give you for the season. It is highly likely that many of the items on their lists from years past weren’t completely used or they simply overstocked. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to see what’s around. 

Should you find necessary items around your home or through a friend, it’s likely that these items will be a little more basic or rudimentary than your child is looking for. Many children like bright and flashy items, which these found items might not be. Instead of going out to buy newer, flashier supplies, however, you might be able to simply buy a pack of stickers or some paint to let your child make the items bright and flashy himself or herself. Likewise, this an option to consider even if you need to buy the items at the store; go for the less flashy supplies and let your child decorate them to save more money overall.

Less expensive supplies might save money up front, but consider long term costs. Investing in better binders, longer lasting pens and pencils, better manufactured book bags, and quality book covers will enable you to reuse the items next school year and not have to buy new supplies. Should you need to continually replace those cheaper items, you could end up spending a great deal more money. As with any purchase, always look at both the short term and long term and decide what will save you the most money overall. In order to help you purchase the more expensive items initially, you may benefit from a payday loan which could provide the extra funds necessary.

Does your area have a tax free holiday to support back to school shopping or other shopping needs? If so, try to schedule your shopping on that day. You’ll be shopping with a slightly larger crowd, but the added time could be worth it depending on how much money you can save on the items. Also, your child’s school might have a voucher for money off at a specific store for supplies. Look for any and every deal you can find and make the most out of your shopping experience. Get your list shopping list early so you have the most time to find and take advantage of a great deal.