8 Back to School Savings Tips

The average family spends over $1,000 on back-to-school YIKES!

By following all these eight back to school savings tips, my family was able to complete three children’s school supply lists for less than $300 this year.  YOU CAN DO IT!! 

#1 Do not take your children shopping with you!!! This avoids those IMPULSE buys and putting yourself in the position of saying NO. We all have a hard time telling our children NO sometimes. 

#2 Gather all the supplies you have in the house; it is amazing how much supplies my children brought home at the end of last school year that were never used. We cut our list in half by using those items. 

#3 Check out local groups like Buy Nothing App and Gifting Items only on Facebook.  Lots of parents of older children give away unused supplies. Don’t be afraid to ask and post ISO items on these sites. It is a great way to live with reuse and have less waste in our world too!! 

#4 Check used college book sale sites. Sometimes you can find those expensive scientific calculators cheap. I have 3 children needing them this year and if I purchased even at the “sales” price at Target I still would have spent $600 BUT I was able to get 1 free from Buy Nothing and 2 used online for $50.  We SAVED $550!!!  

#5 OK, if you completed 1-4 now you are ready to make your Shopping list and don’t be afraid to Shop around!! Look at sales each week but compare them to other stores.  I do this every year, and this year Walmart seems to have the best pricing.

#6 Don’t be SHY!!!! Price Match!! Walmart, Target, Office Max, and many more companies will price match school supplies if you show them the Amazon price is cheaper.   

#7 Consider partnering with other parents to buy in bulk AND buy unsharpened pencils for half the price! 

#8 Parents watch your IMPULSE BUYS! This year I added the few supplies we needed to our Walmart grocery list. I never went into the store or bought 1 thing we didn’t absolutely need.