Helpful Tips for Back-to-School Shopping

With the summer season coming to a close, every parent knows that the dreaded Back to School shopping will begin. You'll start to see the school gear featured prominently, in addition to large banners hanging above proclaiming that it's time for backpacks, pencils, and notepads. The returning school year shopping doesn't have to be hectic or frustrating or exorbitant.

Even without a list sent home from the school, some things are a pretty safe bet that your kids will need this year. Pencils, folders, backpacks, and erasers, to name just a few, are school staples. Kids will undoubtedly need these things and many more. Write down a list of what you know your kids will need, then plan on where to get these items for the lowest price.

One store that's really handy for back-to-school shopping is Big Lots. They have a small selection of calculators, paper, notebooks, and other school related gear at discounted prices. Another idea is to buy things that your child will need a lot of in bulk from an office supply store. This works great, especially if you have more than one kid in school. You could even arrange with the parents of your children's friends to take some of that bulk paper off your hands if you feel you have too much. The same goes for pencils and pens. You could even order online if you have enough time before school starts for your order to arrive, saving on time and in efficiency.

Clothing prices add up quickly, so let your child pick out a few pieces they absolutely love and fill in the gaps on the rest. There is nothing wrong with thrift store clothing. In fact, you can find plenty of like-new clothes that are easy on your budget. Many people give away clothes simply because they've tired of them or they don't fit anymore. Inspect clothing carefully, making sure that zippers zip and all buttons are present and accounted for. Kids wear jeans every day and can be pretty rough on them. Buying a number of reliable and fashionable jeans for a few dollars will go along way to help you save. Take your child with you on this trip to ensure that you've made a solid purchases that they agree with because returning something from a thrist store can be a task in and of itself.

Backpacks need to last your child throughout the entire school year. They also need to be of strong material that will withstand the weight of heavy books. A packback needs to be selected carefully. Just because it may be a brand name backpack doesn't mean it is a quality backpack, nor does a low cost backpack mean you're going to be saving anything. If you purchase a weak fabric backpack, chances are that you will be buying more than one during the school season. Inspect it carefully, looking for breaks in the seams or any chance of liability. If the backpack holds up, buy it, even if its a little more than you wanted to spend. A quality backpack will be worth the extra money.

Shoes are a pretty important facet of the back-to-school shopping. If your child wants brand name shoes, consider going to an outlet mall or a discount store like Burlington Coat Factory, which is filled with name brand products that are greatly reduced from the price you'd pay in a department store. Again, make sure the quality is good. If it isn't, consider buying a pair of shoes that look similar in design, but are lower priced.

Finally, plan, plan, plan. Know what you're going to purchase before you head out the door. A little bit of research on your part will help ensure a smoother shopping trip and give you an idea of how much you'll need to spend. Start shopping even before you see those huge banners in the store and purchase a portion of your back-to-school needs each week, so that by the end of August, you'll have most of your shopping done and you won't be paying a lot of money all at once.