Frugal Friday 22: 14 Back to School Tips

Most schools are back in session.  If you’re like me, then you’re trying to spend as little as possible to supply your child with their necessities.  Here are some tips to get your shopping done without needing to rack up credit card debt. 

1.  Take advantage of back to school prices on school supplies.  Get composition notebooks at 10 cents each, 2 glue sticks for 15 cents, a pack of pencils for 10 cents, folders for 10 cents.  My daughter’s pre-k class doesn’t have a mandatory supply list, but the teacher had some suggestions.  I bought 8 packs of glue sticks, 2 packs of pencils, and 2 packs of crayons for less than $3.  The savings are incredible.

2.  Buy enough school supplies for the entire year.  This is a big money saver that I learned from my mom.  At the beginning of the year, she would buy 20 packs of paper, many packs of pencils, etc.  We had a drawer in the house where we kept all the school supplies and when we needed more supplies, we would just go to that drawer to get it.  Why would you pay $1+ for paper later in the year, when you can get it for .25 now?  Spend the extra $25 and stock up now to save for later.

3.  Take advantage of tax-free weekend.  Many states now offer tax-free weekend good towards purchasing clothing, school supplies, and electronics.  Most stores have great sales going on during those weekends too.  You can really save a lot of money.

4.  Shop ahead of time.  Right now I am taking advantage of summer clearance sales and purchasing my children’s clothes for next summer.  I try to stay a year ahead and get things when the prices are the best.  I rarely pay more than $2-3 for their shirts or shorts.  Two weeks ago, I was at Belk and got Alligator swimsuits that were 75% off, then an additional 30% off with the red-dot clearance.  I paid $8 for two swimsuits (Dora and Hello Kitty).

5.  Inventory your child’s clothing.  During the summer children mostly wear shorts.  It seems once fall comes around parents start to panic because all their child’s pants are too short.  If necessary, have your child try on their clothes so that you can assess their clothing needs.  Make a list of what they have and what they need.  Then when you’re out shopping at the back to school sales, you’ll know what you’re looking for.

6.  Pack your child’s lunch.  Have you seen how much school lunch costs?  Not only are school lunches costly, but many times they are high in fat.  Get creative and pack a variety of foods for your child.  Today’s Parent has ideas for 25 sandwiches.  Thanks to Inside Motherhood for the link.

7.  Don’t snub open box or used electronics.  Just about every electronic device or appliance that we own was purchased 1) open box, 2) on ebay, or 3) on display/scratch and dent.  My stove has a dent on the right side, but it’s up against the cabinets, so it doesn’t matter and the dent saved us big.  Take advantage of open box computers, calculators, and other equipment that your child will need for school.  Many stores offer the same warranty on open box merchandise as they do new items.

8.  Limit the number of extra-curricular activities your child can participate in.  It seems like I heard this tip from Dennis & Barbara Rainey a few years ago and I think it’s a really good tip.  Some parents allow their child to participate in only one sport each year.  It avoids the cost of gas, uniforms, registration fees, and more importantly puts less stress on a family.  Some moms seem to never get a break because they are always running around carrying their child (and their child’s friends) to ball practice, rehearsals, game, concerts, etc.  Setting limits also causes your child to learn to prioritize. 

9.  Prepare the night before.  It seems in the mornings, something is going to go wrong.  To avoid being stressed, try to prepare as much as possible for the next day.  Have the kids pick out their clothes and shoes, pack the lunches, file papers, get homework together, put bookbags by the door, etc.

10.  Make a family calendar.  Put all appointments, sports schedules, teacher workdays, etc. on one calendar.  You can even use different color inks for categories.

11.  Teach your kids to take care of their stuff.  When I was teaching middle school, I would find pens and pencils every day.  Before long, I had a huge collection that I would share with the students.  I’ve found lunch boxes, coats, and other valuables that some students would not claim.  I still use a Nike jacket that I found years ago.

12.  For musical instruments check Sam’s Club, see if you can borrow one from the school, or rent one from a local music company.  You may not want to buy an instrument just yet anyway, because you may not know if your child is going to like that instrument and stick with it.  Also try Shar Music.  They seem to have some good deals on instruments. 

13.  If you have older children that need to purchase books, look for used ones.  Check online at Amazon or another site that sells used books.  See if there is a bulletin board at school used for posting used books and equipment.  Better yet, borrow the book, calculator, or other needed item from someone that already took the class.

14.  Put an ad on Freecycle for the things you need.  This really works.  My friend just had a baby and she got almost everything she needed from Freecycle. 

Back to School Tips from some of my favorite bloggers:
12 Tips for Backpack Safety
Top 5 Ways to Make This an Organized School Year
5 Back to School Sanity Savers
Healthy Lunch Box and Snack Ideas
Cover That Text Book
Where to Find Cheap School Supplies
5 Ways to Get Your Kids to Talk About School
Back to School Blog Carnival

Other Back to School articles:
Back to School Lunch Tips
Fun School Lunch Ideas

Do you have any back to school tips for saving money?  Please share them.