5 Ways to Save on Back to School Shopping
5 Ways to Save on Back-to-School Shopping
Hello August, you came way too fast. Does anyone else feel like summer just barely started, now we’re already thinking about back to school. August can bring nervous and excited feelings, new clothes, and more expenses than your average month. Today we have five ways to save on back-to-school shopping.
- Set a budget. You might not realize it, but an easy way to not go crazy is to set a budget. A budget for both school supplies and of course new clothes, you can separate them or put them together, either way, stick to it. This way you have the amount that you’re going to spend before you go to a single store.
- Separate Wants from Needs. This is the hardest one, when you get to go shopping everything feels like a need. And yes some things are needed, but do they have to be name-brand or the most expensive? There are so many cute notebooks out there, but I promise a $0.50 notebook will work just the same. Plus you can save the money from the essentials to put more money towards the wants.
- Check Online. Before going to the store, check the prices online. Compare all the different stores instead of just going to one store. Some stores even Pricematch to make sure you’re getting the best price. Also, check if it makes more sense to buy in bulk. You might spend a little more upfront, but if buying for multiple kids or need more throughout the year you’ll be covered.
- Shop Your House First. Go through your closet first, then your sibling's closets, you might even be able to sell it as ‘vintage’ if they aren’t into it at first. Don’t head straight for the stores, start at your own home to save yourself some money. You’d be surprised at how many clothes you’ve forgotten about.
- Don’t Spend it All at Once. When going clothes shopping it can be tempting to spend your budget or feel like you need to buy everything right then. However, there can be benefits to waiting. Some places might have a ‘bounce back’ coupon for a later date. Plus, when school starts the weather still feels like summer. You don’t want to be in long sleeves and sweaters, but you also don’t just want to buy summery clothes. We like to get a couple of new things for the first few days and then go shopping again in a month or two when the weather starts to change.
