If it’s your first time sending your kid to school, you may not know how back-to-school shopping can be shockingly expensive. There is too much on that shopping list you have to buy, and you should also take this year’s inflation into account!
In addition to the items written on that list, you shouldn’t forget how fast kids grow, and they may not fit into their last year’s dress or shoes. I know your heart has started pounding since you started reading this article, and you’re experiencing shortness of breath. But, there’s no reason to panic because, as always, YounGo Money has come to save the day! We have listed #15 top-notch tips to help you save money on back-to-school shopping and even master it!
If your children are old enough to understand the concept of budgeting and saving money, it can be a perfect opportunity to ask for their help and let them more about saving throughout this process.
Table of Contents
Write a Prioritized Back-to-School Shopping list
Write down everything your kids need for school this year. Then, change the order based on the vitality of purchasing them. It’s ok not to shop all the items on the list at once, so you better focus on the ones with higher priority. For instance, if your kids’ shoes are tight, buying a new pair is more vital than a new set of watercolours (they can still use the ones from last year.
Create a Back-to-School Shopping Budget
When you have a well-crafted list, it’s easier to create a budget. The least a budget can do is give you peace of mind! When you stick to a budget, you’ll less worry about overspending your money on the items you want to purchase. Nowadays, you can find almost anything online, and that’s an excellent opportunity to search for the price range of the items you want to buy to have a more realistic budget. It will also help you understand if a store is selling something to you more expensive than it should be.
Don’t Forget to Take a Look at the Drawers and Bookshelves
Before going shopping for school, consider taking a closer look at the shelves and drawers. There still might be something left from the last year that can help you cross it off this year’s shopping list. Some clothes might still be new and fit your kids, or the notebooks from last year might not be finished, and your kids can use them again this year. Another advantage of this action is that if some of your clothes are still new but are too small for your kids or they have two watercolour sets that they don’t use, it can be a perfect opportunity to teach them more about giving. Start simple by explaining how even a tiny item they don’t care that much about can make another child happy and help them start a better school year.
All the Back-to-school Shopping Doesn’t Have to Be Done at Once!
Of course, many stores draw lots of customers by hanging a “Back-to-School Sales” sign on their doors. However, remember there’s no pressure to buy everything on that list right away. Don’t let the FOMO make you spend all of your budgets as there will definitely be better sales 2 or 3 months later. Just buy some necessary items and spread the rest of the shopping over the next few months.
Back-to-School Shopping, Cheap vs Value
When shopping for school supplies, it’s vital to pay attention to their value. I’m sure you don’t want to see your kids’ backpacks torn apart after a few months of going back to school. Remember, all the items on your back-to-school shopping list should have an acceptable quality as they are being used almost every day. As a result, don’t let the very low prices on the price tags fool you and put the quality first.
Check your Kids’ School Back-to-School Boxes
Many schools have their own prepared school supply packages. Be sure to compare their offer with the items you can shop yourself and see what works best.
Don’t Be Afraid to Buy Second-handed Items
Buying second-handed goods don’t seem right to some people. However, it can help your pocket and the planet. There is no wrong in buying an item that has been used before. They come at a lower price than the new ones, and if we get into this good habit, there’s a lower demand for goods, and as a result, less energy will be consumed.
Price Match Stores
As you might be aware, shopping from price match stores is a great money-saving method. These stores challenge you or maybe themselves (!) to find a better price for the same item, and they’ll match the price if you do!
Other Tips on Back-to-school
Students Losing their Belongings
Some other helpful tips are related to back-to-school budgeting, such as labelling your kids’ school supplies.
It’s a common thing for students to lose their stuff at school or maybe leave it on their friends’ desks or in their bags. When you attach their names to their belongings, you decrease the chance of losing and buying them again. However, some kids keep on losing their school stuff almost every week, and that’s when the labelling method doesn’t work for them anymore. That’s when you should sit them down and calmly talk about the cost of their lost items, and maybe that will help them be more careful. Read more about teaching kids about the value of money here.
Going to School
Many people believe the best time to let your kids go to school on their own is when they begin secondary school. You can encourage them to walk to school with their classmates and friends to make it a fun friends activity or discuss how using public transportation like bus or subway can help them save more money!
Lunch Money
The snacks some school sell might be tempting for kids, and that may make them spend more than the normal amount on school snacks. To prevent that from happening, you can talk to your kids and set a budget for their lunch or snacks.
Final Words
School season can be stressful for parents and kids due to many reasons. That’s why everything you need to do is to plan ahead everything to be in control of the situation.
If you’ve used our tips, make sure to share the results with us in the comment section!
