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6 Easy Ways to Spend Less on Back to School Shopping

August is the month to prepare for a fresh start. Itق€™s the time when kids get prepared to head back to school, and parents prepare their kids with new school purchases. However, with all the new gadgets, supplies, and clothes that need purchasing, a back to school budget can easily get blown out of the water. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to find great deals and save on all the needed back to school buys. Here are six secrets to staying within your budget when back-to-school shopping.

1.آ  Have a Clothes Swap Party

The chances are other parents around town are looking to save money on back-to-school shopping as well. Throw a clothes swap and invite some friends over with kids around the same size. Ask them to bring over the clothes that their children no longer wear and you do the same. You can make a fun event out of swapping out clothes for your kids, and you may find some great items without spending a single penny. If your child goes to a private school,آ then you can have a clothes swap of uniforms.

2.آ  Buy Generic Items

While your son or daughter may beg you to get that cute folder with the cat on it or the Superman pencils, going with the generic brands can save you big time. This is especially the case when it comes to generic school supplies. Although they are plainer than the designer brands, they also can save you up to 80%. These savings also apply to cleaning and paper supplies, and since you hardly need an intricate design on them, sticking to the generic brand can save you big time.

3.آ  Buy in Bulk

The more you buy, the more you save. Just make sure that youق€™ll use what youق€™re purchasing. Warehouse clubs like Costco can be a gem for saving money on packages that the whole family can use. If a certain bulk item is too big for your family, then consider asking a friend if theyق€™d like to split the cost and the purchase with you. For instance, buying bulk mechanical pencils can save you a great deal and you know theyق€™ll be useful.

4.آ  September Clearance is Your Best Friend

If you can hold off on certain items until September then itق€™s best to do so as youق€™ll be able to save a ton of money on the massive back-to-school clearance sales that occur. Everything from clothes to backpacks to lunch boxes will go on sale during the first weeks of school to sell all the excess items that werenق€™t picked up in August. Ask your child to use his or her old backpack and brown bag their lunch until September comes along, at which time you can buy him or her brand new gear for slashed prices.

5.آ  Utilize Discounted Gift Cards

You can save a substantial amount on online and physical store purchases by buying discounted gift cards. There are plenty of sites online that will sell people’s unwanted gift cards at a discounted price. You can get as much as 10 percent off from finding a gift card to a store you were planning on shopping at regardless. Some of these websites will connect you to someone trying to sell their card for cash while others will sell it directly on their platform.

6.آ  Donق€™t Be Afraid to Say No

One of the best secrets to saving money on back-to-school shopping is not being afraid to say no when your kids ask you to buy something they donق€™t explicitly need. Sure, itق€™s hard to say no to them when theyق€™re begging for that designer-brand pair of jeans or ninja turtle backpack, but letting your children run the show when it comes to back to school shopping will only lead to your funds running low. Save money by sticking to a pre-set list, and taking your childrenق€™s whims out of the equation

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