5 Tips to Save Money During Back to School Season

Written by Sue Kirchner

The Back-to-School shopping season is off and running! Stores have swapped their summer merchandise for fall clothing and back-to-school essentials, so I hope you don’t need any summer clothes anymore. Do you have your school supply list and have you checked it twice?

Back-to-School shopping can be a little daunting but here are some money saving and bargain shopping tips to make this season a little easier on the wallet. 

1. Always have your school supplies list with you. You never know when you’ll run into a bargain somewhere. Start checking off the items as you buy them to avoid duplicates. 

2. Only buy what you need. Your kids are constantly growing and while you think their clothes from last year might still fit, they might not. Starting now, have your kids do a fashion show for you to see what in their closet still fits and what can be given away. Now you can make a list of what clothes, shoes, backpacks, and other accessories you need so you don’t over buy.

3. Wait to buy school clothes until after Labor Day. You’ll see more coupons and sales running then. Also, it never ceases to amaze me that after I buy my son new jeans in August, he grows an inch in September. There’s nothing worse than having a bag full of new clothes that your kids suddenly can’t wear. Wait until late September to make sure any last minute growth spurts are out of the way. 

4. Search online for coupons to your favorite stores. There are all kinds of coupon sites out there to help you find a code. Don't forget to check the store's site directly. Some store sites offer coupons to new customers for signing up for their e-newsletters or listing their own coupons and deals.

5. Do a Scavenger Hunt. We just cleaned out our basement and I was amazed at home many unused and even unopened school supplies my kids have brought home every year that were just piling up in boxes out of the way. So, send your kids on a scavenger hunt throughout the house to see if you have pencils, mostly unused notebooks, rulers, binders, index cards, glue sticks, etc. Why spend the money if you don’t have to.

So relax, take a deep breath and bring on the Back-to-School Season! Read my other Back-to-School Sanity Saving Tips for Mom for a stress-free season or for some fun ideas, check out my Back-to-School Board on Pinterest.

What other tips do you have for saving money during Back-to-School season?

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Sue Kirchner is a family fun coach, kids party planner, and weekly contributor to Patch.com. Sue and her family fun ideas have been featured on TV, newspapers, magazines, blogs, as well as her own family fun site ChocolateCakeMoments.com.