You are likely feeling mixed emotions about sending your kids back-to-school — there’s some excitement about getting back to a regular routine, but there’s also some stress stemming from the high cost of school essentials. In fact, the National Retail Federation estimates that parents will spend around $875 on school purchases.
With the cost of living soaring, finding extra room in your budget to afford school supplies and other necessities may feel impossible. The good news is though, there are ways to cut the costs of back-to-school shopping. Check out the tips below!
Shop at home first.
Before heading to the store for back-to-school shopping, take inventory of left over supplies you have at home first. You can rip out pages from a partially-used notebook, collect scattered crayons to make a set and clean up an old back pack or lunch tote to stretch your school shopping budget.
Learn to love secondhand.
Think beyond regular retail for everything else you can’t avoid buying. You can save up to 90% off kid’s clothing and uniforms via resale sites like Swoondle Society, up to 70% off sporting goods at SidelineSwap and up to 60% off with certified-refurnished electronics through Amazon Renewed.
Tap into savings tools.
There are a variety of digital tools that can help you find savings faster. Begin by comparing prices using Flipp, a savings app that allows you to review local store circulars all in one place so you know where to shop for the biggest discounts. The app also allows you to load coupons directly to your loyalty card. Finally, download Sidekick from CouponCabin.com to your brwoser—this plug in applies coupons and cash back to your online order automatically.
Team up for deep discounts.
Find other families with children in the same grade to split bulk supply packages to benefit from lower unit prices. Alternatively, shop through e-commerce site Temu to get bulk discounts in individual quantities on a variety of school essentials. Their direct-to-factory model enables them to offer more affordable individual prices by cutting out middlemen and connecting shoppers with manufacturer. Search their Lighting Deals page to see if any items on your school supply list are marked down even further.
Tap into free rewards.
If you have a big ticket item on your list, consider signing up for a new credit card that offers a sign up bonus and more rewards for your school purchases. The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, for example, gives new cardholders $200 when they spend $500 within three months of signing up which you can compare at sites like CardRates.com.
You even earn free gift cards to Target, Walmart and Dick’s Sporting Goods to use towards a school splurge like those new Nike sneakers with the Fetch app. Just snap a photo of your daily shopping receipts to earn points which are good towards a variety of gift cards.
Seek support.
Families in need should seek support from local organizations that offer free supplies and other essentials. For example, the Kids in Need Foundation offers free backpack programs throughout the year while The Boys and Girls Club partners with retailers to collect and distribute school supplies to low income families. If you are sure of which programs are available near you, contact your school administrator for information. They may even host their own school or uniform exchange.
