Five Ways to Save Money on School Supplies

Remember when school supplies were simple? When I was young, the kids in my school had pens, pencils, paper, and notebooks. If a teacher got really crazy, she might request that kids bring in ruled index cards. Apparently times (and parent's wallets) have changed. School supply lists have become huge, complicated affairs that contain everything from a box of tissues to fine-point yellow highlighters.

When my daughter began public school, we received her school supply list late in the summer. I was shocked and dismayed at how much a first grader needed, and how little time I had to search our metropolitan area for the items. As both my daughter and I aged, we became a little wiser. I compiled a number of helpful hints to make the whole process easier and much less expensive. My daughter learned that the less I spent on school supplies, the larger my disposable income became, which translated into more cash at the local ice cream parlor.

1. Supply lists. Try to get next year's school supply list as soon as possible. Many schools are now distributing the lists to children the prior year, before they are dismissed for the summer. This extra time gives you much more time to be aware of sales, find hard to come by items, and pick from a larger selection. If they don't offer the list at the end of the school year, ask your child's teacher or principal for a copy. You can always check your school's website for more information.

2. Inventory. Before your child dumps the contents of his or her desk and backpack, attempt to intervene. You might be surprised at what they haven't used, especially pens and notebooks. Using last year's notebooks' might not be the cool thing to do, but it sure saves money.

3. Sales. Be aware of sales during the summer. Many department stores like Walmart and Target start their back-to-school sales in early August. Shop before the hoards of parents descend on the school supply section and clear it out. If you shop in the summer, you'll also have more time to buy items such as tissue and sanitizing wipes on sale

4. Buy in bulk. Notebooks, Post-it Notes, pencils, pens, erasers, loose-leaf paper, and glue often come in mega-sized packages. Stock up one year, and use for two years in a row. Better yet, connect with another parent and divvy up the loot. You'll both come out winners.

5. The Backpack. Depending on your child's school and grade, she may be toting around amazingly heavy packs. A child in kindergarten might only need a small pack, easily found on sale for $10 or less to transport a few papers and artwork. An older child, however, can seriously hurt themselves if they are carrying their pack incorrectly with too much weight. Save on the other school supplies, and invest in a high-quality backpack. Wheeled packs are especially useful when transporting lots of books and/or band equipment. Mega-stores are again a good bet for sales, as well as sporting goods stores.

If spending another $20 or so is not a problem for you, a pre-packaged supply box might be fore you. My daughter's school offers a supply boxes available through a third party organization. We tried this one year, with mixed results. It was expensive, compared to what I would spend if I had bought it separately. I also had to buy additional supplies that were not in the kit. In terms of convenience, it could not be beat - it arrived on her desktop the following year. So if time is more valuable than $20 or so, go for it.