Back to School Basics: Backpacks on a Budget

Raising two children as a single mom, back to school shopping was always a stretch. With a limited income, we had to rely on buying bulk school supplies and budgeting ourselves, just to make sure we had enough to get the basics. One of the biggest back to school necessities was always choosing a backpack for my daughter and son. We'd often go to stores and find certain backpacks that we liked - but we certainly didn't like the prices! Shopping for sturdy budget school backpacks was tedious, at times, but well worth it in the end. With the money we saved, by buying a cheap backpack, we were able to get a lot of neat extras. As my daughter got older, and more creative, she actually preferred plain school backpacks over the fancier ones, because she could then take some fabric paint and create her very own personalized backpack.

If you're shopping around for some great budget backpacks, I highly recommend the following five. They all have certain features that I find very nice, and are all priced quite affordably.

Cool Colors at Half the Cost

K-Cliffs has a nice backpack for less than $15 and they come in a wide variety of colors from pastels to camouflage. While they don't come with some of the fancier extras that other school backpacks might have, they do have a lot of pockets for storage and a wide reflector band across the back. I'm a stickler for safety, so this is a major plus for me.

A Budget Backpack for the High School Student

One of my top choices in budget backpacks has to be the High Sierra Impact backpack. It's large and roomy, has padded straps for extra comfort and the price is conveniently under $20. What's better, is it comes with some of those fancy little extras that I always like to look for in backpacks. I can't help it... I like my perks. This one is definitely stacked for the older student in mind - It comes with a free organizer and a mesh pocket for water bottles, as well as straps to secure cell phones and a special pocket for their CD/mp3 player, complete with headphone port. It's a little large for smaller children and doesn't have the cutesy cartoon characters that most younger children enjoy, but it seems more geared towards the older youth anyhow.

My only flaw are the colors on this particular backpack. While it does come in red, blue and pink, the pink is one of those dark hot pinks that's really hard to match up with things. I really think I would have liked to see some diversity in this pack or maybe a pattern to help break it up a bit. Girls might prefer a similar backpack, called the High Sierra Opie, but watch out parents - you may end up paying out an extra $10 just for a softer plaid pattern. I think a few safety features, like reflectors, would have been nice on both backpacks also.

Discounts on Designer Backpacks

Right now, JanSport backpacks are all the rage. And why not - high quality and stylish, with price tags that climb up over $100. What's not to love? But, if you're careful and you shop around, you can find the JanSport Half Pint Backpacks for less than $20. Perfect for the little girl who wants something en vogue, rather than a cute Disney Princess backpack. The JanSport name is very popular and they do have some stylish varieties. In fact, many moms pick these up and recycle them into diaper bags or overnight bags when the school year is over. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Way to go, Mom!

Best Budget Boy Backpacks

That's a bit of a tongue-twister, but Urban Sport has a great student backpack for under $10. It's not a fancy pack. It's pretty basic and only comes in colors that we traditionally think of for boys - navy blue, red, gray and olive green, but it's a pretty reliable choice for a good budget backpack. At that price, you definitely have the extra money to pick up those special extras, like water bottles and other fancy goodies.

The Backpack That's Packed With Safety Features

If you're willing to head up around $40 for a backpack, I highly recommend the Deuter Junior Kids Pack. Compared to many products currently on the market, this backpack is well worth the money for safety features, alone. Not only does it have comfortable shoulder straps and a soft padded back, it also has a chest strap for heavy loads, lots of pockets and child friendly buckles. The safety features that I really like include large reflectors, the name tag on the inside of the backpack, a safety blink loop and even a strap on the front, so you can attach a safety whistle. While it only comes in green and blue, making it a little butch for many girls, it's definitely worth its weight in safety and comfort features.

Other Great Backpack Alternatives

There are many great places to shop for discount back to school backpacks. Myself, I usually avoid a lot of the back to school sales, at major retailers, and often shop places like local dollar stores, grocery stores and even consignment shops and resale stores. You can often find some great bargains there. Other options include the local thrift shops, Salvation Army stores or even Army and Navy surplus stores - you just might be surprised at what you can find!