How to Save Money on Back to School Supplies

The cost of getting back to school supplies increases every year. Between books, clothing, and other supplies, the start of a new academic year usually gets expensive for many parents. If it sounds like you, we are here to help. Whether your kid is staring kindergarten or heading off to the university this year, these tricks will help you shop for back to school supplies without breaking the bank.

How to Save Money on Back to School Supplies

Buy in bulk and stock up basics for the entire year

Image via: Money Saving Mom

Shop at home first

Believe it or not, you might already have a lot of school supplies lying around the house. Things like rulers, calculators, pencils boxes and backpacks do not need to be replaced every year. You can easily use last year’s school supply if it’s still in good shape. So, before you head out to shop, take a walk around your house; closets, basement bins, and desk drawers might have hidden treasures that can save you some money.

Only buy what is essential

Give a quick makeover to last year’s supply

Image via: Confetti Sunshine Blog

Once you start shopping, all those fun extras can take your fancy-colored pens, superhero notebooks, locker accessories and the list stretches on. But in order to avoid overspending, it’s important to keep the supplies to useful and necessary versus fun and fancy. Determine in advance that how you will handle your kid’s requests for those non-essential items.

Consider quality

Don’t just get carried away with the cheapest item available. Take time to find more about the quality of the product, and then pick the ones that you think will last long. For instance, consider backpacks with a lifetime warranty, and bindings and spirals with durable plastic covers. Pricier options can eliminate the need to replace the cheaper items multiple times during the year.

Determine what supplies will keep for years and will stay in good quality

Image via: Houzz

Buy in bulk

The back to school supply list is usually only meant to get the kids started. They will need refills on notebooks, crayons, papers, pencils, and more all year long and buying in bulk can save you a great deal. So, stock up for the entire year, but put away what’s not needed at the moment.

Buying back to school supplies at the end of the summer is an unavoidable task. But, it need not be an expensive one. Along with the tips above start planning ahead of time and take advantage of every weekly coupon and online deal that comes your way.

Do you have any back to school shopping tricks that can help to save money?