Six Ways to Save on Back-to-School Shopping

It’s that time of year again. Back-to-school shopping is upon us, and aisles filled with summer cheer have swiftly changed into backpacks and lunch boxes.

Somehow it seems that every year, prices on school products get more and more expensive.

A survey from the National Retail Federation found that parents with kids in elementary to high school expect to spend an average of around $685 on their back-to-school shopping this year.

The survey, which looked at 7,320 consumers, revealed other key buckets of expense:

Parents plan to spend $187 on electronics, $139 on shoes, and $122 on school supplies.

And most of that money will go to buying their kids new school clothes. The survey revealed that parents expect to spend $237 on on clothing items.

Back-to-school shopping can be a super stressful experience for parents. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the desire to keep your kids happy on a Target run while also staying in line with your budget. That’s one of the reasons why so many parents report overspending.

So how can you save money on your back-to-school shopping extravaganza?

Here’s some tips to help cut costs and keep your bank account in line.

Six Tips to Save on Back-to-School-Shopping

Keep the Kids at Home: For the most part, try to keep your kids at home when shopping for the back-to-school essentials. That doesn’t mean they can’t be a part of the conversation. But it does mean less pressure for you to overspend when you’re actually in the store.

Use Your Survey Junkie Points: Survey Junkie offers e-Gift cards to some of the main back-to-school retailers, including Target, Walmart, and Amazon. Many members opt to use their points to help with savings around this time of the year. Or you can cash out with PayPal, and use your money anywhere you’d like. Not a member? Sign up here. 

Recycle From Last Year: Have you ever really looked at your kids’ school supply inventory from the year before? Chances are they didn’t use everything the list. Whether it’s pens, pencils, or old notebooks with plenty of blank sheets of paper, recycling last year’s school supplies is good for your wallet (and for the environment).

Clip Coupons: You can save money on everything from clothes to school supplies when you look for coupons ahead of time. And if it hasn’t already passed in your state, take advantage of tax-free weekend. If you’re a back-to-school shopping pro, you know what a dent sales tax can make in your bank account! 

Search Backpack Giveaways: Backpacks can be super pricey. If your child needs a new one, look for local giveaways before you splurge on a new one. Local churches, charities, and non-profits are all known to host back-to-school drives.

Go to Smaller Stores: People tend to think big box when they’re doing their back-to-school shopping. But there’s definitely some items at the dollar store that you can cross of your list. While you don’t want to do all of your shopping there, it’s a great way to save a certain things.

Data Source: thepennyhoarder.com