Back to School Shopping Tips

It's that time of year again: back-to-school! While some children look forward to starting a new school year and others dread the seasons return, the fact remains that back-to-school shopping can be expensive.

Use a list

Rather than buying random school supplies on a whim, wait until you receive your child's supply list from their teacher. Most school's will notify you of what your child(ren) need for school at least one month prior to the beginning of school. If you have not received a supply list, call the school and ask where one can be found. Purchasing items from a list will allow you to stick to your budget and omit buying unnecessary items that your child will not need. Look through the school supplies that your child used last year and see if there is anything that can be reused.

Look for Sales and Shop Tax-Free Weekends

To further your savings, purchase school supplies early when the sales begin. Many stores kick-off the back-to-school season with a bang, which means savings for you! In addition, check to see if your state offers tax-free weekends for back-to-school shopping. In many states across the country, sales tax is omitted from clothing, shoes, school and office supplies, computers, textbooks and athletic gear to help offset the cost of shopping for necessary school supplies. Look online or call your state tax office to find out specific restrictions and guidelines.

Purchase Quality Items

While many parents are looking for deals and promotions to save money, make sure that the products you buy are quality. A bookbag that breaks within one month of school starting will obviously not save you any money once you have to replace it. In addition, off-brand crayons, markers, pens, glue and other school supplies often do not work as well as trusted name-brand products. Furthermore, you should be able to purchase the name-brand items for a comparable price if you seek out sales and promotions for back-to-school savings. Purchasing quality items can ensure that they last longer, which could mean for years to come.

Teacher Recommendations

Although teachers don't always specify what types of items to buy, it's a good idea to find out if they have any suggestions or hesitations. For example, most teachers would agree that light-up pens are a distraction in the classroom and would prefer that a student bring a simple ink pen.

Think Ahead

For many students in math classes, here is a money saving tip. Will your child a specific calculator next year? Consider spending a small amount more to get a calculator that will not only work for this year, but next year also. While it won't necessarily save you any money this year, it will keep you from buying two calculators over the long run.