The cost of going back to school continues to rise every
year. It is estimated that the costs rise by about 11% every year. Whether
your kids are just getting into kindergarten or going to university, you
can still purchase their items and ship them without breaking your
bank.
Here are some tips
1. Do a Closet Sweep
You may be surprised to find that you already have many school supplies around the house. Check desk drawers, closets, and bins in the basement. They may hold items that could save you money. Round up all the office supplies in the home and place them in one location. This way, you will have a list of what you have. Write down the list to know which items to avoid during shopping.
Additionally, check the kid’s closets. Old clothes that are too tiny or not in a good condition need to be thrown out. That way, you can tell what exactly you need to avoid spending too much on unimportant things.
2. Do your Shopping at Thrift Stores and Garage Sales
Garage sales are a great place to find great deals for those back to school supplies. You can find gently used clothing, shoes, and even school supplies. Frequent garage sales for everything that you require until you get enough. It will take time but you can find some awesome bargains with time.
Thrift stores are also a great place to find great bargains. The clothing at these places is usually quite cheap. In addition, most of these stores will also run sales that are designed to entice parents shopping for back to school items. Start early as most of the best items will be gone quite soon.
3. Have Limits
As the kids grow older, they will want to have the best items out there. They may request you to buy the designer items from the largest brands. Although the kids may want these items, that could destroy your back to school budget. Besides that, many of them are not designed to last.
Thus, you will need to have some limits. Make them understand the benefit of wearing a well-made item that is built to last. If your kids start to understand money management early, they will grow up with these values. Give them the option to choose just two special items. The other items should be bargain items.
4. Be Smart when Shopping for College Supplies
If your child is headed to college, you will be shocked at how expensive some of the college supplies can be. However, that does not mean you cannot save money. One of the ways to save money on college supplies is to purchase used textbooks. You can find plenty of them at sites such as Amazon and eBay.
You can also look for sites where you can sell your used textbooks. That way, your kid can have money to buy new books for the next year of college. Dorm room equipment such as sheets and lights can be found at thrift shops. You can also request family members to donate to you their old items.
5. Take Advantage of the Sales Tax Holiday
In most states, there is a sales tax holiday when shoppers can purchase items without any sales tax. You are able to pick up all your school supplies without taxation. Find the date on which there is going to be a sales tax to make purchases.
6. Make Use of Bulk Buying
Bulk buying can save you a lot of money. Buy enough pens, glue, and other supplies in bulk to last throughout the year. You can also consider going to wholesale stores for low prices. If you do not think you can use the entire stock, talk to your friends about pooling money for supplies.
7. Separate Their Needs from their Wants
School supplies rarely go out of style. However, that does not mean that back to school need to be an acrimonious time for you and your kid. For instance, arguing about whether a backup with earphones is a want or need. Besides that, keep in mind that you will be doing teachers a favor if you avoid supplies that have gimmicks. For instance, pens that light up only serve as a distraction to the kid during classes.
8. Get Your Kids Excited about Recycling
Being environmentally friendly is a major issue today. It is easy to convince kids that reusing items is the right thing to do. That way, when you get them to use old items for last year, it will not be a big fight.
9. Know When to Make quality Purchases
A leaking pen will cost you more replacing clothes than buying an expensive variety. In case the strap for your backpack breaks, you would need to buy a new one. Thus, it would be a good idea to buy a high-quality one in the first place.
10. Choose Shipping Wisely
If you are Shipping to the Caribbean, it's an easy and inexpensive way to get your school supplies where they need to be.
