Back to School on a Budget: Inexpensive Ways to Stock Up on Supplies

School shopping can be a big expense, but some simple planning can make school year expenses more manageable.

Use What You Have: Organizing closets and digging throughout drawers will help you identify items that can be used from a previous year. Consider mending, rather than throwing out or donating, items that might be salvaged. This practice also provides a wonderful opportunity to show the kids the importance of reduce, reuse and recycle.

Make a List: Once you have identified exactly what you will need to buy new, create a clear list and stick to it. While it is important to be flexible, make a pact with yourself to avoid purchasing products that do not have a clear and certain need. Practice the 48 hour rule: if you still feel like you really need an item that is not on your list after 48 hours, you can go back and buy it then.

Dig Around for Deals: We all know that back to school deals can save us lots of money on supplies we need. However, many stores offer low prices on a few products just to present unexpectedly high rates on others. Be willing to jump from store to store, or order from multiple outlets online, to get the lowest prices on everything on your list.

Not Everything Has to Be New: When heading out on shopping trips don’t forget to hit thrift stores and consignment stores (online and off) for an earth-friendly method of saving some cash. You might be surprised how much you can score second hand. While it may take a little extra time to search out what you’re looking for, you’ll be rewarded with some feel-good savings.

Set Up a Swap: Consider getting friends and family together to swap items that they no longer need. If you don’t have many acquaintances with similarly aged kids you can always arrange a community swap by placing an ad in your local paper, or putting up fliers at your favorite park.

Get Creative: Instead of buying expensive supplies that have the designs and name brands your kids desire, buy the generic, less expensive products along with some art supplies and let your kids get creative making them truly unique. This works especially well for elementary school age kids, but can be fun with older kids as well.