How to Buy Back-to-School Supplies on the Cheap

It seems that backpacks and pencils, protractors and calculators make their way to store displays sooner and sooner every year. It's like they're competing with Christmas decorations to see who can make their appearance the earliest.

What a downer it is for kids to see those displays. They're never ready for the reminder that the first day of school is looming near.

Over the years, I've developed a few tricks to save money on school supplies. Maybe they'll work for you, too.

It All Begins at the End of the School Year.

When those smiling, happy faces come running through the door on the last day of school, their backpacks are typically stuffed to the brim with miscellaneous school supplies.

Go through everything they have and assess its condition. Now is the perfect time to salvage what you can and store it for the next school year. Keep it all in a box and store it for future use.

Pull any blank notebook paper from all notebooks and store it in an appropriate sized envelope. You could easily garner enough to equal at least one pack of loose leaf notebook paper. It may take a bit of time to pull the shredded little pieces off of each spiral-bound page, but it'll save you money in the long run.

Pens & pencils can be stored in a zip-top bag. This will prevent them from becoming MIA like the rest of the pens & pencils that are supposed to be in your desk right now.

Test markers to determine their dryness. If they're still good, into the box they go.

I can't tell you how many rulers we have lying around the house. Makes me wonder why I buy new ones year after year. No more. Unless the ruler is broken or the numbers are worn, it'll be saved for next school year.

Carry a Copy of the School Supplies List with You Everywhere.

Go to your school district's website and print the list for each child as soon as it's available. Keep it in your purse so that you can refer to it each time you're shopping. This will help you take advantage of weekly sales. Who wants to pay full price?

I show the list to my kids and ask them to write down their preferences (blue or black ink pens, notebook colors, etc.). I also make sure they write down what they don't want (no pink notebooks, for example).

As you acquire deep-discounted school supplies, be sure to mark them off the list to prevent purchasing duplicates during future shopping trips.

Shop for School Supplies by Yourself.

If this is feasible for you, you'll be impressed with the amount of money you save. Without the kids, not only will it be a peaceful shopping trip, but you won't be pestered into buying things that aren't on the list or items that could break your budget.

Shop Multiple Sales.

While shopping sales is a no-brainer, you have to be careful here. It's easy to be swooned by a local store advertising a box of 24 Crayola crayons for just 19¢. Great deal when they're normally close to $2. Only problem is that the rest of the stuff on your list is full price at that store.

As a lazy mom, it's so much easier for me to buy all our school supplies at one place. However, by the time I've left the store, I'm in full-blown shock. No matter how many times I review the receipt, I can't figure out where all my money has gone.

You don't necessarily have to go to multiple stores to shop multiple sales. Our local grocery store has a huge display of back-to-school supplies. I peruse it with list in hand every time I'm there (which is usually once a week). Over time, I'll have filled their backpacks with most, if not all, of their required supplies for pennies on the dollar.

Buy Extra Supplies when they're on Sale.

Crayons seem to wear down faster than ice cream melts in the summer. So, be sure to stock up on school supplies when they're on sale. Buying a few packs of crayons now when they're on sale for 19¢ will save you money later in the school year. They won't be this cheap again until next summer.

Customize Notebooks Yourself.

Junior is aghast because he doesn't like the style or color of the notebooks you bought for him. You had a feeling he wouldn't like them, but the deal was so good you couldn't pass it up.

If you have scrapbook paper on hand, you can use it to customize the front & back of the notebook. Doesn't matter if it's a spiral notebook or a three-ring binder. They're all easy to customize with appropriate adhesive; trim as necessary.

No scrapbook paper on hand? No problem. Hop online and print something that represents his favorite college sports team. Or, rip a page from a Sports Illustrated magazine to attach to the notebook covers.

Little girls will be excited to color their own notebook covers. Search the Internet for coloring pages of their favorite characters, provide them with some crayons and markers, and let them go to town. You can bask in motherhood glory while you pat yourself on the back for not only saving money, but keeping the kids occupied at the same time (while they color). What's not to like?

Outta Sight, Outta Mind.

Who can resist a box of brand new crayons with its rows and rows of colorful, waxy soldiers standing at attention, ready for duty?

Depending on the age of your kids, it's wise to not let them see the school supplies you've bought until right before the first day of school. This will prevent them from wanting to use them during the summer (which means you'll have to buy more).

All you need is a little advanced planning to save big-time on school supplies. Hey - maybe that money you save can go toward a beachy spring break trip!