Does the thought of back to school season have you seeing dollar signs? If so, you might be wondering how you can cut some corners and save some cash. Take a look below at 7 ways to save money on back to school supplies and get all of the back to school goodies you need for less! With just a little planning and creativity, you can stock up for the entire year for a fraction of what you are use to paying. Here is how to get started!
7 Ways to Save Money on Back to School Supplies
1. Shop penny sales.
You will notice lots of penny sales this time of year, and they are worth checking out! Check Sunday circulars for penny sales and if there is a limit of items per customer, take a friend or the kiddos with you so you can get more of the products you need.
2. Shop your house.
Take inventory of what you have on hand before buying new. You might find unused supplies from the previous year on hand, so there is no need to buy more. Make a list and check off items as you find them so you know what you need when it comes time to shop.
3. Shop from a list.
Before you buy anything, find the official school supply shopping list the school puts out. That way you can be sure you are buying the things you need as determined by the classroom teacher and skipping any items you don’t need.
4. Shop alone.
This tip is a hard one to follow but can save you some real cash. Shop alone for school supplies so you don’t have kids begging you for fancy erasers, glitter markers, and other items you don’t need. These extra purchases add up, so shopping alone is a great way to avoid them.
5. Shop late.
There is nothing wrong with waiting until the week of school to do your back to school shopping. Retailers will have rock bottom prices during this time and you are sure to find some clearance bargains as well.
6. Shop the dollar store.
Don’t forget to check out the local dollar store for a wonderful assortment of pencils, crayons, markers, glue, erasers, and even lunch supplies. For just a buck you can afford to stock up and get everything you may need.
7. Shop with coupons.
Many brands will start offering coupons in the Sunday paper, so be sure to keep your eyes open. Crayola, Sharpie, and other back to school supply brands are known for running coupons that can be stacked with sale prices.
Saving money on back to school supplies can be easy when you give these shopping strategies a try!
Our school does something awesome because they have very specific supply lists. If we choose, we can send the PTA a check for $25 and they will take care of getting all the supplies. It’s a little more money that way, but for me, it’s totally worth it to not have the hassle of getting everything.
YES, shop alone with no kids! This year we purchased our supplies through the school. I paid a little bit more but there was no stress!
Shopping the dollar store is a great tip. I’ve been able to save a lot of money on school supplies by purchasing little items here and there for the kids.
school supplies an get costly especially if you have more than one child. Thankfully my husband works at an office supply store and I have not had to purchase school supplies in year!
I love school supply shopping. The sales are ridiculously good!
For this year, we decided to purchase the supplies through the school. I didn’t realize that you’ll save money when you do that. I paid way less than I did when we bought everything from the bookstore.
These are really great tips. I always try to use as many coupons as I can.
These are definitely things to consider! I wouldn’t mind saving at the dollar store. I’ll have to remember the prices may drop closer to the first day of school.
These are great tips. It’s amazing how quickly school supplies can add up.
I usually shop late for school supplies. When most are done with their back to school shopping, there would be less people, shorter lines and huge discounts.
I love using coupons as often as i can. It is a great way to save money. Taking inventory of what you already have is a great tip.
These are great ways to save on back to school supplies. I try to stock up on what we need when it is on sale.
The tip I like the most that you mentioned above is “shop around the house”. Every ,time we buy school supplies, we store it in our special tote, and that is the first place we check if going over to buy more.
Ugh, I always forget about the penny sales! Hopefully next year I’ll remember. Actually, I think I’ll put it on my phone calendar so I really don’t forget. LOL
Always such a job to get ready for back to school.
Great way to save money on back to school.