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Welcome Back to School! 11 Ways to Save Money for Back to School
Written by guest writer Joyce Felix from celebratemomsforever.com
It’s that time again fellow Moms! It’s time to start preparing for your kid’s return to school. When you add up all those expenses for clothes, school supplies, and other school-related expenses, it’s not uncommon to see parents spend close to $1,000 per kid.
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Having to prepare for your kid’s return to school can take some time and work. However, you can take steps to help save money, so you don’t leave the store with an empty wallet! Check out some of my back to school savings tips below:
Try consignment shops
You can buy nice second-hand clothing and accessories for fair prices at consignment shops. Another option is to look through your kid’s closet to see what is still in good condition that you would be willing to sell to consignment shops.
If your item sells, you get a small percentage of the selling price. You’re not only saving money, but you’re also pocketing a little extra change.
Make a shopping list and stick to it
A long time ago, I used to go shopping without a list of items I needed to buy. This was a big mistake.
I usually left stores buying more things and spending a lot more money than I anticipated. Once I started creating shopping lists and using them, I was able to better control my spending and manage my budget much more effectively.
I was no longer buying things impulsively and spending money unnecessarily.
Related: HOW BUDGETING FOR GROCERIES CAN SAVE YOU LOADS OF MONEY
Host or attend a back-to-school swap
Save money by hosting or attending a community back to school swap. You not only benefit from saving money on buying back to school items, but you also can help get rid of items your kid no longer uses that may still be in good condition.
There are several ways to find back-to-school swaps. You can check out your community events through Craigslist, Facebook communities, or bulletin boards at your local stores, library, or community center. Also, check to see if your kid’s school is hosting a back-to-school swap.
Craigslist
I’ve found some really good deals on Craigslist over the years and sometimes they are for items that are brand new or in great condition that look pretty new.
Look under the For Sale/Baby & Kid Section for good deals. Some people might disagree with me, but I wouldn’t recommend looking in the free section.
There’s a reason they’re getting listed for free! However, once in a blue moon, you might be able to score on a great item. It just depends how much time you’re willing to invest here.
Get on email lists to your favorite stores
I’m on the email lists for all my favorite stores. When you’re subscribed to email lists, you get news delivered straight to your inbox on sales, coupons and deals.
I saved a lot of money over the years by getting easy access to this information. Sometimes I saved as much as 60-75% on original-priced items!
Buy snacks in bulk items
The upfront cost is more, since you’re buying more items at once. However, over the long run, you end up saving more money because you’re purchasing a lot of snacks in bulk items.
For example, I live in Silicon Valley and 1 box of 6 Handi-Snacks crackers and cheese, cost anywhere from $3-4, depending on which store you buy it from.
If you buy it in bulk at a warehouse club, the cost is about $9-$10 for a box of 30 snacks.
Utilize school transportation
Save money on gas by letting your kid take the bus, instead of dropping off/picking up your kid from school every day.
Even if the school is a short distance of 1-3 miles per one way, all those trips add up and that’s extra money you end up spending towards filling your gas tank.
Pack more lunches
Have your kid eat more packed lunches and less hot lunches provided by the cafeteria. Overall, you save more money by packing your kid’s lunch.
At my daughter’s school, serving a sandwich in the school cafeteria could cost about $5. However, if I buy deli meat, cheese, peanut butter, and bread, for her sandwiches this is much more cost effective.
I still let my daughter eat hot lunch at school, so she can eat different things. However, I also pack a lot of lunches and this saves our family a lot of money.
Go shopping on a Sales Tax Holiday
There are some states that have the advantage of Sales Tax Holidays. I live in California, where we unfortunately can’t take advantage of this great holiday.
If you do live in one of the states that have these sales tax holidays, go shopping on these days to save a little extra for back to school items.
Check the dollar store for supplies
I get many of my daughter’s school supplies at our local Dollar Tree location. This includes notebooks, folders, pencils, and crayons. You end up saving a lot of money by purchasing items for only $1 at dollar store locations.
For example, I bought my daughter’s crayons for $1 at the Dollar Tree. There was a similar-priced item at another non-Dollar Tree location for several dollars. When you add up all the supplies you need to purchase, you end up saving a lot more in the end.
Buy used text books instead of brand new text books
If your daughter or son is in college, encourage buying used text books instead of brand new text books. When I was in college, I saved hundreds of dollars per quarter by purchasing used versions instead of brand new ones.
Also, try purchasing them as early as you can. Sometimes, a vendor will have sold out of all the used versions of a required text book.
This usually happens in the beginning of a quarter/semester or a little before. Once all the used versions have sold, you will only have the option to purchase the newer and more expensive textbooks.
Many parents would prefer to block the thoughts of back-to-school preparation for their kids, especially because of the high costs involved. However, you can help ease the financial stress if you are able to apply even just a few of these back-to-school savings tips.
Joyce Felix is a mom that blogs about different topics that affect moms today. She writes about parenting, finances, self-care/stress management, food, and pregnancy at http://www.celebratemomsforever.com.
