How To Save On Back To School Shopping

It’s time for back to school shopping!

It’s actually three weeks until my kids start back to school and last night they both wanted to know the inevitable “when are we going back to school shopping?”.

The shopping we do each year for back to school has almost become a ritual that is more of a bonding experience than it is actually shopping.

Let me give you some pointers on how to keep your spending budget on track while your kids are looking up at you with big, pleading eyes.

Have A Budget

First thing to do on your own is know how much you are willing to spend. Do you know how much you spent last year?

If you do know, do you consider it a reasonable amount to continue to spend this year?

Or perhaps you spent way too much last year and you’re looking for ways to trim it down.

Regardless, you need to set a reasonable, doable amount that you are willing to spend.

The key is to know the final budget, per child, that you are going to allow to be spent back to school shopping. Each child’s number may not be the same.

I would suggest sharing the number with the children. This isn’t something to be ashamed about. You are teaching your children that money isn’t carelessly spent and you have a plan.

If you have some money leftover, perhaps you’re willing to splurge a little on items that your child was wanting, but doesn’t necessarily need.

Go Through Clothing, Accessories, And Supplies

Before you try to make a list or step foot into a store, your children should go through the clothing, shoes, and accessories that they already have.

Spend some time putting together all of the schools supplies. My house has notebooks in one drawer and pencils on the other side of the house in another drawer. Gather all these items and take an inventory of what you do have. You could easily save hundreds of dollars by not spending again on items you already own.

Do the same with clothing. Before you go shopping, have your children remove any items from their closets that no longer fit them. Could you sell any of these items to help offset the costs of the back to school shopping you’re about to tackle?

Take note of items like pants, shorts, and shoes leftover that do fit. Are any of the piles lacking or does your child have more items than they realize they had?

Ask your kids what they are expecting to get out of back to school shopping this year. Looking at what they already have, what do they need?

Make A “Back To School Shopping” List

Once your children establish what they need and you’re in agreement after looking at their piles of clothing and accessories, make a list for each child.

The budget may change once you’ve established what you already own. Hopefully it’s decreasing!

Let your child create the “need” and “want” lists first and then go back and edit/add as necessary. Encourage their involvement!

Teach them that not everything needs to be top dollar. If they want to spend more on a bookbag, perhaps they spend a little less on shoes. You’re teaching them to budget.

I would suggest dividing up the money you’re budgeting into each category.

For example, your kid loves Nikes. So you’re budgeting $150 for shoes. If they buy one pair for $150, great! If they buy two pairs for $75 each, great!

Perhaps they want to spend a little less on jeans, and you decide to purchase from a thrift store. The budget for jeans was $100 and they find three for less than that.

A list is important – it will keep you both on track and help meet your goals.

Back To School Supply Shopping

Bulk shopping has backfired on me in the past. This only works if you have multiple children and you know that certain items will be used again and again.

I will say that notebooks and #2 pencils are something that we’ve always needed.

Sometimes we buy things and the teacher says it’s not a requirement for their classroom. As my children have gotten older, I’ve learned to wait until they start school before buying certain supplies.

There are only four things that I am guaranteed to buy prior to the first day of school:

• Lunchbox
• Paper
• Bookbag
• Pencils

Ok. Pencils – Let me touch on this for one second, please. I can’t tell you the number of times my children have had some standardized test the next day and they had to bring a certain number of #2 pencils. Of course, they told me at 9:00pm the night before and we found 0 in our home. Check this out. Amazon has a bulk 150ct box of #2 pencils (Currently around $11). Buy these in bulk and keep them in a drawer or cabinet somewhere. Those late night trips cost me gas, sanity, and $5+ for a package of less than 10.

I almost always buy bookbags and lunchboxes now from Amazon as I find the best deals online. Remember to make note of measurements when purchasing as I’ve bought a mini backpack by mistake before.

Back To School Shopping Time!

If your child is old enough, let them manage the list. Treat the shopping like a “scavenger hunt” to find all of the items on the list.

With your child also having a budget, make sure they know that if they comparatively shop around for cheaper items, they will be able to make their spending dollars go further. While you are shopping in store, compare prices with those online. See if any stores will price match. If they won’t, purchase the item online.

Make it fun to stick to the list! Instead of wandering through a store, keep the list handy so you know exactly what you’re after when you walk in.

Don’t Forget The School Fees

When creating your budget, remember that when school starts, fees will start flying at you.

I’m not sure about other parts of the country or private schools, but our public school system throws multiple fees as us at the beginning of the school year.

Some to remember:

• Technology Fee
• Classroom T-Shirt Fee
• Funding School Lunch Account
• Individual classroom fees (like art or STEM)
• School electronics insurance fee
• Parking pass (for older students)
• Field Trips

In addition to the fees listed above, teachers often ask for individual products for their classrooms. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve purchased this X-ACTCO pencil sharpener over the years as I try to start the year off on the teachers’ “favorite parent” list….

These are all items to keep in mind when you’re creating your back to school shopping budget.

Back To School Shopping Key Takeaways

Remember to comparatively shop and get your kids on board. You’re teaching them a valuable lesson! Comparatively shop in stores and online.

Take an inventory of what you already have so you aren’t wasting money on items that were already in your home.

Sell what you can that is outgrown so it will offset some of your back to school shopping costs.

This is a bonding experience, remember to have fun and make it enjoyable for your kids.

You have a minimum number of back to school shopping experiences with you and your favorite little humans. Enjoy yourself!