Billy's Blog

September 1, 2009

Most parents start counting down the days until school starts the minute summer vacation begins. But if you've got the back to school blues because of the expense of school supplies, you're not alone. Even inexpensive pencils and pens can seem expensive if you're buying many of them, or if your child insists on extravagant models. But fear not- there are many ways to maximize back to school savings and prepare your children for the new school year without breaking the bank. If shopping the sales does not offer a sufficient price break, consider these ways to enjoy back to school savings:

• Use your own goods. Many parents over-purchase school supplies, and it's likely that you have extra pens, pencils or paper floating around from last year. Before buying these items again, check and see if you have a spare one (or two) floating around in your closet. Likewise, scissors which are not misplaced can easily last for several years- and they should be reused if possible. You'll be surprised by how much you can save simply by using items you've already purchased.
• Create your own fancy school supplies. If your child loves the idea of having a brightly colored notebook or a binder with her favorite cartoon character on it, you can easily allow her such a pleasure- without purchasing an expensive name-brand product. One way to execute this form of back to school savings is to purchase authentic book covers with your child's favorite character and use these to cover generic products (or your child's books). Voila, an instant Batman notebook! Alternatively, let your child be creative with textured stickers, gel pens or glittered markers on the outside of his or her notebook or book cover. With so many great ways to use your children's books as art projects, they'll quickly forget their desire for name-brand products.
• Go to a dollar store. In today's day and age, one can never underestimate the values that you can find at a dollar store. In addition to finding very reasonably-priced school supplies, you can also find great prices ($1!) on a wide variety of snack items, so that your back to school savings won't only be applied to school supplies. For a final consideration, purchase $1 plastic containers to make it easy for your child to take lunch to school.
• Combine advertised sales with online coupons. If you've narrowed down on an item that you want, check the circulars of different area stores and see which one offers the best back to school savings for that particular item. Then, look for online coupons and see if you can reduce the price further with an online coupon. Check if your store of choice honors competitors' coupons- you may be surprised to learn that even if your store doesn't have an online coupon, you can still enjoy additional savings.
• Spread out your purchases. There's no question that your child can't start school without a new notebook- but does he really need a new pair of sneakers for the day after Labor Day? Ask your child how he or she feels about waiting to purchase less-necessary items until later on in the school year. Explain that this will allow your child to see what's popular and get the newest (and greatest) items, rather than making an impulsive decision now. Remind him how there are so many exciting new things at the start of the school year but that having something new in the middle of the year will bring a burst of excitement to the year's slow time. Purchasing things later will enable you to take advantage of later sales (like holiday sales or after-back-to-school-savings-sales) without overextending yourself before school starts.
• Set limits. No matter what age your child is, it's ok to teach him or her about fiscal responsibility. Explain how you only have a certain budget for school-related items, and that he will have to pick and choose what items are the most important to stay within this budget. Not only will setting limits enable you to save money in the back to school rush, but it'll teach your child a lesson that he can take into the future.