We hate to be the ones to break it to you, but summer break is almost over and school days are looming! We know how quickly the summer flies by! Make sure you or your children have their school supplies ready days or weeks before to avoid any stressful last-minute trips to the local supply store. But before taking the family to the store to purchase some back-to-school supplies, here is a list of five ways you can minimize expense and time spent without sacrificing quality!
1. Do a closet check
Before rushing to your local Target or Walmart, make sure to do a thorough sweep of your closets and supply cabinets. You might have unused notebooks, pencils, pens, and other materials left over from the last school year. Basement bins and desk drawers are also good places to look for excess supply. You know that junk drawer you never open? Now is the time!
2. Comparison shop
You can find a wealth of information online, such as price comparison charts for school supplies at different store chains. Also, pay attention to your local stores’ sales. While you might have to shop a little earlier than anticipated or in a specific time frame, it might be worth it to save some cash on the tons of products you have to purchase (we’re not sure why the kids need ten gluesticks either!).
3. Set a budget
As children grow older, they begin to form that mindset of needing to have the latest and most expensive school supplies. The best looking backpack or the most in style sneakers are held as unspoken status symbols at schools. This is where your school expenses can spiral out of control if you do not establish limits beforehand. Setting a budget might also teach them good financial habits for the future!
4. Shop online deals
Online shopping is on the rise (can’t beat shopping from the couch!) and a great tool for school supply & back to school purchases! If you’re a frequent shopper at certain stores or have made past purchases, pay attention to those emails you’re getting and you might snag an awesome deal like 20% off! If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can take advantage of free two-day shipping, which comes in handy when you’re ordering so many different items. It might be worth the free 30-day trial just to shop for school supplies.
5. Take advantage of coupons
Coupons are like having free cash. It’s the simplest way you can save up on school expenses without having to time your purchase to a certain week or season. You can find cut-out coupons from your Sunday paper or from the most recent magazine issue. Websites, such as RetailMeNot and apps like Honey, are also safe places to source coupon codes.
We know this can be a stressful time for the whole family, but we hope we’ve made it a little easier for you! Enjoy the rest of your summer!