Back-to-school shopping might be the least fun spending spree of the year, but it doesn’t have to be painful. Here are some tips to help you stretch your dollar, regardless of your budget.
What do you actually need?
Get an updated school supply list. Sure, all younger kids will probably need crayons and glue sticks, but the school may also ask for hand sanitizer or wet wipes. Having a list can help you save some money by knowing exactly what you need and eliminate multiple trips to the store where you’ll spend more. Categorize your list based on where you can get items for the best price and shop early. Some items, like a pencil case, glue sticks, or paper towels, might be of similar quality but cheaper at a dollar store, but not always. For a few select items, like backpacks, it can be worth it to buy nice rather than twice. (Or shop secondhand for nice at a cheaper price.)
Know what you already have
Before you head to the stores, take an internal inventory and look for supplies that are laying around the house. Grab a box and pile in those extra pencils, folders, journals, and unopened reams of notebook paper from overbuying in previous years, and mark those off your lists.This is also a great time to do a wardrobe inventory and figure out what staple items have been outgrown or damaged. Is there a type of shirt or short that your child treats like a uniform? Consider what they actually wear most when shopping for new items. While it's fun and adorable to dress kids up, you may only need one or two nicer outfits since those clothing items don’t get as much wear. Fancier outfits are also much easier to buy used, as kids often outgrow them before having a chance to wear them out.
HYPERLOCAL TIP: Uptown Cheapskate and Plato’s Closet have name brand clothing and shoes for a discount.
First, make the team
Your kid wants to play football or clarinet or learn horseback riding— great! But before they can be the next professional athlete, musician, or Olympian, they may have to actually make the team, band, or squad. So before you drop hundreds of dollars on pads and cleats, a musical instrument, or a pony, find out if and what you actually need to buy for extracurricular activities. Then see if you can buy or rent used equipment or if there might be a loaner program already in place. If this is a flash-in-the-pan interest, your budget and storage space will thank you.
Set a realistic budget
Don’t walk down the school supply aisle grabbing one of this and one of that — you’ll give yourself a heart attack when you see the total at the register! Instead, set a budget for supplies, and spread the expenses out over a few months, if necessary. A single trip to one store is convenient, but it may be a budget buster. If you’re willing to shop around, you can save a lot of money. Most importantly, make sure that the budget actually works for you. Set yourself (and your student) up for success by knowing how much you need, and estimate how much everything will cost. One way to make school more fun for kids is to let them help pick out items for school that will bring them joy and get them excited. A few special branded folders or a backpack/ lunchbox with their favorite characters can often be within budget by buying generic on the other things that don’t matter so much.
HYPERLOCAL TIP: You probably know about Dollar Tree, but are you aware that our local King Dollar stores often have great deals on name-brand school supplies? They’re also perfect places to pick up items like staplers, binders and locker accessories for less than $2.
New to you
Don’t be afraid to thrift or buy secondhand when possible. A refurbished graphing calculator off of Mercari does the exact same math problems, but at a fraction of the price. When it comes to clothing, consider buying from aftermarket resellers like Poshmark or at local resale stores, like Second Chance Resale in College Station, Second Chance II and Alice’s Attic in Bryan, and Second Chance III in Navasota, which all support Twin City Mission.You may also be able to score practically new items at garage sales or thrift stores.If you’re in need, check local Facebook groups and your schools to see if any businesses are doing school supply drives that you can take advantage of.
HYPERLOCAL TIP: Goodwill stores usually now give a 20% off your purchase coupon when you donate anything! Swing through the dropoff before going in and donate some outgrown items to save a little more on your shopping trip.
Big purchases, big discounts
Many big purchases, like laptops and other electronics, have student discounts that you can take advantage of. Don’t stress about not having your PC or printer on the first day of school — your school will have resources that your child can use while you’re waiting for your item to arrive.
Search for sales
The stores can be madhouses on tax-free weekends, but that might be when some essential items are at their biggest discounts. We’re talking pens, paper, erasers, etc. Check the store websites beforehand to see when these items are available at the lowest prices, and don’t necessarily buy everything you need for school at those sales, just the loss leaders, which are items priced below the market cost that entice customers to purchase additional items at a particular store location.
Buy in bulk
There are some items you’re always going to need: black pens, mechanical pencils, scantrons or blue books, etc. I recommend stocking up all at once. It’ll save you time, frustration and money later on.
You can find more money saving tips, and free and frugal things for every stage of life and budget at www.budgetgirl.com.
About the Author
Sarah Wilson, aka Budget Girl, is a local money expert, YouTuber, debt-destroyer, side-hustler, financial wellness advocate and newbie real estate investor. She creates free resources and inspiring content on how to live a frugal and fearless life, build wealth, create income streams, and live your best life with the aid of a budget -- regardless of your current income level. Find her onYouTube, BudgetGirl.com, and on social media @gobudgetgirl.
Read Save Big, Spend Less in Spanish here.
