10 Tips for a Less Expensive Back-to-School Season

Your kid’s education is crucial. But that multi-colored sparkly folder they’re eyeing up might not be nearly as necessary. Here are ten ways to keep the back-to-school costs from toppling your bank account.

Portrait of two diligent girls looking at camera at workplace with schoolboys on background.Photo byImage Credit: Pressmaster/Shutterstock.

Shop Used or Refurbished

Depending on how old your kids are, you could find some eye-popping price tags for items like laptops and calculators. Used and refurbished electronics can sometimes be a gamble, but one that pays off handsomely if you buy from a reputable retailer and do your research.

Check for Student Discounts

If refurbished isn’t your style, you can at least review where you’re shopping and see any student-specific discounts. Stores like Apple, Microsoft, and even Goodwill often offer discounts for students that can help you save considerably on anything at a higher ticket price.

Ignore the Pressure

You’re probably already used to this, but kids will undoubtedly try to convince you there’s no way they can show their faces at school without their favorite cartoon on their backpacks. If you can endure the fallout, do so: it’s good to instill in them early that optics are not nearly as important as financial security is.

Set Your Budget

It’s always important to budget, but don’t forget to incorporate back-to-school expenses when necessary. Budgeting before you shop ensures you have set guidelines to avoid overspending. You can even involve your kids to show them the power of budgeting as a valuable life lesson!

Shop the Summer Yard Sales

If school clothes are on your shopping list, take advantage of the nice weather and see if anyone in the neighborhood is hosting a rummage or a clothing swap. They could even have school supplies or backpacks; you never know until you look!

Shop Deals

Cut coupons, check for coupon codes, and mark your calendars for when stores have deals on anything you have on your list. Sign up for emails from your favorite department stores and make note of when they’re having back-to-school sales.

Go With a Cheaper Brand

Some products won’t see much of a bump in quality with a price increase. You can often get away just fine with cheaper pencils, folders, and other supplies. Sometimes, you’d sacrifice quality for cheaper products, which doesn’t generally save money in the long run, so don’t simply buy something just because it’s inexpensive.

See What You Have at Home

Avoid blindly following the list your kid’s school gave you and buying everything on it; there’s a good chance you might already have quite a bit of it lying around at home.

Buy Off-Season

You might be in luck if you’re reading this and it’s not a back-to-school season. Some stores will offer items commonly associated with the new school year at much lower prices if it’s not the end of summer.

Thrift for Clothes

Fortunately, thrifting for clothes is trendy, so it shouldn’t be a hard sell for most kids. But shopping secondhand stores for back-to-school clothes is a great way to potentially avoid the price of buying new.

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