Believe it or not, the return to school is just around the corner for children. For parents, this may be a welcome relief, but it can also mean a hefty shopping bill.
This back-to-school season, “American families with children in elementary through high school are expected to spend an average of $875 on back-to-school items, according to the National Retail Federation’s Annual back-to-school survey,” said NPRThat’s a pretty penny – but there are some ways to make this year’s seasonal shopping spree a little easier on your wallet. With these five tips, you can save money and still get your kids everything they need for the upcoming school year.
Instead of going through the list without thinking, “set a budget for back-to-school shopping before you go to the stores, and then think about how much you can spend on the different items on the list,” said Consumer Reports. It’s also smart to “do a quick inventory at home as well to make sure you don’t stock up on things like pens and pencils when you already have an adequate supply.”
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Before you head to the shops, look for special offers and take some time to compare prices and find out where you can get the best deals. This is often easier if you spread your shopping over several weeks. “Instead of making one big shopping spree, shop for special offers in one week,” said NerdWalletThis also “distributes” the burden on your budget.
2. Take advantage of tax holidays
Depending on where you live, you can also save by waiting until the sales tax-free days to make your purchases. “Several states have tax holidays that coincide with back-to-school shopping,” NerdWallet said, and “depending on the state, that can mean up to 7% savings on your purchase.”
But keep in mind that each state has different restrictions. Some states have caps on tax-free purchases, others have rules on tax-exempt items. And each state has different tax exemption times,” Consumer Reports said in a statement.
3. Find out about student discounts
While you may already be on the lookout for special offers, you may be overlooking one discount opportunity: student discounts. “These discounts are typically intended for college students, although they sometimes apply to grades K-12 as well,” said Select CNBCAdditionally, “many retailers and brands offer special promotions for college students this time of year,” according to Consumer Reports—and some even run year-round.
You can search online to find “lists of stores across all categories that will mark items when you show your student ID,” CNBC Select said, citing “Apple, Microsoft, H&M, Madewell, American Eagle and Goodwill” as examples.
4. Coordinate with other families to purchase larger quantities
Another trick to save money on back-to-school shopping is to “buy in bulk, often at wholesale stores like Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s,” according to NPR. Especially if you have a large family, “stocking up on non-perishable items like pencils can save money in the long run.”
But this approach can work for smaller families too. “The parents of your child’s classmates may want to buy certain things together,” NerdWallet said. In particular, “this approach works well for classroom supplies like tissues, plastic bags and hand sanitizer.”
5. Buy used or refurbished
Not everything you buy for your child’s school year has to be new. Consider buying some used or refurbished items because “whether you’re buying textbooks, electronics or clothing, you’ll pay less this way than if you were to buy the item brand new,” CNBC Select said. You may even find “discounted items in ‘like-new’ condition.”
For electronics, you can consider retailers like Amazon or Best Buy, while sites like Mercari and Depop are good for snagging used clothing. Another option is to “buy school supplies, clothing, jackets, and more at thrift stores or resale sites like swap.com,” NerdWallet said, and using “your local Buy Nothing Project group on Facebook or the BuyNothing app” you can “request and give things away for free.”
