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5 Back to School Money Saving Tips

Every person going back to school soon is going to need some supplies. The supplies are different for each school, grade, and location. The cost of school supplies is constantly increasing, especially when you include the costs of going to college into the mix. If you are looking for a few ways to be able to lower these costs, then here are a few tips that may make your back to school shopping a bit less costly.

Buy Sale Items

There are certain items that every child will need at some point. They will need pens, pencils, notebooks and loose-leaf paper. When you are shopping during the year and find these items on sale, buy them and set them aside. This will save you from having to go out and buy them right before school starts when they are often marked up, as the retailers know that people have to go out and buy them.

Buy Last Year’s Model

This tip can save you quite a large amount of money. If you need to buy a technological item for your child, or for yourself, then buy the model that was new last year when you can. This can save you a lot of money and should still have the functions you will need for this school year. This works for many items, such as:
• Scientific Calculators
• Tablets
• Laptops
• Desktop PCs

Establish a Budget and Stick To It

When it comes to back to school shopping, both parents and students tend to buy things that they do not need. Look through the sale ads and get a good idea of what each item you really need is going to cost, and stick to that estimated budget. Do not buy things that are more expensive simply because they look cooler. The ones that look plain will function just as well and save you money for other items you may want before school starts. The same is true for students going off to college. College students will need to take into consideration other things they will have to stick to a budget for such as books, tuition, meals, etc.

Take Advantage of Sales Tax Holidays

Many states are starting to offer a day or a weekend during the summer where specific items incur no sales tax. This is to help families that are struggling to afford supplies, plus it help boost the economy. This encourages families to come out and buy the things they needed to, and spend the difference on things they wanted to buy as well. This can save you quite a bit of money if planned out properly, so find out if your state participates in this type of offering and use it if you can.

Combine Forces and Buy In Bulk

When a lot of parents need to buy the same items for their children, they can plan it out ahead of time and save money by buying in bulk. This can allow their children to get the items they need, and still save the parents money. Parents who are friends should see if they can combine some items on their lists and buy them all at wholesale stores which give bulk discounts. This could help cut a significant percentage out of the required budget for these supplies.
If you stick to these few tips, you will be able to take a bit of what you were expecting to pay and use it toward something else. These tips will not take much time, but they can give you back solid rewards. Planning out the necessities ahead of time can help lower the anxiety that many parents feel just before the start of school each year.