13 Back-To-School Budget Savers
It’s back to school time and if you’re like us, you’re looking for ways to stretch your budget.
Here are a few strategies that work for me:
- If your child wears uniforms, ask the school if they have a donation program. Many times if you donate, you can also take some for FREE. If not, consider starting one with other families at the school.
- Always compare prices and be willing to shop multiple stores. Sometimes drug and grocery stores have better deals on certain items than your big box stores.
- Use coupons and points. Mead, for example, has a points program where you can collect points and get free products and coupons!
- Shop Sam’s Club for snacks. I have found that you cannot beat their prices on things like juice boxes and bagged snacks.
- Buy uniforms a little larger than you need them. They SHRINK. Your child will be wearing them every day, that’s a lot of washing!
- Save on back to school haircuts by visiting a cosmetology school. They usually charge $5 or less.
- If you are furnishing a dorm room for your back to school shopping, try local thrift shops for the larger items.
- If you plan on packing lunches, opt for reusable sandwich containers and reusable baggies!
- Always shop with your child’s school supply list in hand, this eliminates buying things you don’t need (or contraband items like rolling book bags)
- Set a limit on what you will purchase and leave the upgrades to the kids! If they want a Mario backpack that is $5.00 over your budget, make them pay the extra $5 from their allowance.
- Just because something is bundled does not make it a better deal! When we bought glue sticks, we noticed that the ones in a bundle where .5 more (each) than the ones that were packed 2 per pack. Read the price per unit.
- Opt for used text books over new. Many colleges even offer an eBay type site for students! Also, students can sell their old text books on those sites to earn money for new books.
- Once the back to school products hit clearance, buy them for next year!
What strategies do you use to save money during the back to school time?
[photo by Meddygarnet]
Editor’s note: This post was written by Shasta Walton, author of the Faithfully Free blog.
Posted on August 15, 2011, in Family, Mom Tips, Planning. Bookmark the permalink. 3 Comments.
These are great tips Shasta especially using coupons. Back to school expenses can be very costly especially if you have a couple of kids in uniforms. My favorite coupon site is http://www.couponsherpa.com/ they even have an app for access to coupons on the go.
if i buy uniforms, I always buy in bulk to lessen the expenses. I always prefer to contact my friends if they want to buy also so that it could lessen the expenses.
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