With summer now making room for the fall season, it’s that time of year again for all things back to school. Regardless of what school level your child is enrolled in, there will be school supplies that will be need to be purchased.
If you have been through this before, then you likely know that these school related expenses can certainly add up. Therefore, it is a good idea to look at areas where you can save on these essentials.
To help get you started, here are 3 ways to save money while shopping for back to school supplies.
1) Shop for Supplies Solo
Perhaps, this first tip may vary slightly depending on the age of your child, this method of saving on back to shopping can be helpful for a few reasons. For one thing, you can avoid some stress throughout this process. Without your children present during the shopping of some of these supplies, you can focus on shopping for the best value deals instead of having the added pressure of having to buy the name brands that are more expensive.
In addition to this part of back to school shopping, you can even look to buy some of these items online. Not only can you find some good deals, you can shop without the added pressure of little ones wanting to buy the more flashy and expensive items. Lastly, if you are seeking back to school savings on supplies such as computers, tablets, and other forms of technology, online sales are another great way to save.
2) Compare Prices Across a Range of Stores
While it may seem easier to buy all of these back to school supplies in the form of one-stop-shopping, this can however also mean that you might be paying more. For example, certain items will be more expensive at different locations. Here it is good idea to compare the prices on the items you need and go to the specific store where they are being sold for less. This can also include online shopping, depending on the items you are looking for.
Discount retail locations, can also be a great method of saving money. If your back to school shopping involves clothing and other related items, then stores such as Winners and Marshalls can be of service in helping you buy quality brand names for less. Overall, comparing stores and a variety of pricing options, you can find the best valued items possible.
3) Wait for September Sales
While it is true that some items may need to be purchased prior to the first day of school, in certain instances it can be better to hold off and buy some, if not the majority of them a little bit later. Not too much later however will be necessary as September sales are a common occurrence and are a great opportunity to find back to school supplies that have been significantly reduced.
For items such as writing materials, including pens and pencils and so on, it may be best to secure these items beforehand, just to ensure they don’t go out of stock. However, clothing and backpacks and other items like these are the ones that you may want to purchase when they have gone on sale – clearance even, during the month of September. Since clothing items and other supplies can quickly add up – taking advantage of these time sensitive sales can mean saving even as much as hundreds of dollars.
In the end, there are plenty of savings available – sometimes it just requires some patience and a few important shopping strategies to guide you during this process. Don’t let the weight of back to school shopping mean that bad debt and financial worries become more prominent in your life. Instead, reap the benefits of all of the many back to school savings around and start the school year off right.
