15 Back to School Shopping Tips

 

Children love the summertime. Families have been going on vacations, to barbeques, swimming pools, beaches and enjoying longer days and nights. Everyone has used the time to relax and have fun. Children get to stay up late at night watching television or playing games. Many families take vacations and enjoy the weather during the summertime. The one thing that puts a damper on summertime is going back to school and going school shopping. Parents hate it and kids hate it too. It is a final reminder that summer is almost over!

Buying school supplies and clothes and for your children can be extremely stressful and costly.  Children want the latest electronics, gadgets and fads their friends have. Do not let your children pressure you into buying the latest fads or things they do not really need or buy things you know you cannot afford. Only buy things that your children absolutely need for school. This will save you money because we could all use a little extra money these days.   

Talk with your children before going clothes and school shopping and set expectations. Let them know about your finances and what you are going to buy and what you are not going to buy.   Explain to them the difference between needs and wants, and that designer clothes and name brands are not needs.

Ask your children to create a list of mandatory supplies they need for school. Verify with the school to ensure you have all required items. Determine what clothes your children can still fit comfortably and make a list of things they need. Prioritize the list in four categories:  Need Now, Need in 2-4 months, Need in 5-7 months, Need When School Ends. This will also help you budget your money if you do not have the cash to get everything you need when school begins.  Here are 12 tips to save money when shopping for back to school supplies and clothes.

1. Plan Ahead. Do not wait until the last minute to buy school supplies. The best store sales start early so plan ahead to take advantage of them. Plan ahead for a few months when shopping during tax free sales.
2. Barter.  If you know a parent who provides services that you need for your children such as tutoring or carpooling and you have clothes or toys your kids are not using consider bartering. Use barter networks such as barternews.com.
3. Swap. Swap children’s clothes with a friend or relative to save money.
4. Sales. Go to yard sales and dollar stores to find great bargains.
5. Clothes. Buy clothes from a thrift store, consignment shop or discount store. Kids grow quickly and their clothes generally do not last or fit them throughout the entire school year. Buy clothes and shoes if possible at least one size too big so your kids can get more wear out of them.
6. Network. Mention to family, friends, co-workers and neighbors that you are going school shopping. They may be able to provide money savings tips or may have extra supplies they can give to you for free.
7. Comparison Shop. Search the internet for reputable websites that sell school supplies at a discount price and purchase items before school starts to get the best deals.  Every few minutes of comparison shopping can save you $1 - $9. Also shop at stores that honor competitor prices and coupons.
8. Home. Look around the house to see if you have any leftover supplies from the previous school year.
9. Shop Online. Search the internet for reputable websites that sell school supplies at a discount price such as Amazon, eBay, Overstock or auction websites.
10. Tax Free. Take advantage of tax free days in your state to buy school supplies and school clothes for your children.  
11. Know the Prices. Know the prices before you go shopping. Some stores mark up prices to offset the cost of consumers not paying taxes.  If you do not you may end up paying more than the original cost of the item.
12. Use Coupons. Use coupons to save even more money.
13. Use rewards. Use cash back rewards shopping portals such as www.mrrebates.com/ or www.extrabux.com to save more money.
14. Buy Later. Get rainchecks for items that are out of stock.
15. Alerts. Set alerts and reminders for store sales dates and price drops.

12 Effective Tips to Save Money on Back to School Shopping

It’s summertime. Time for vacations, barbeques, swimming pools, beaches and longer days.  Children get to stay up late at night watching television or playing games.  Many families take vacations and enjoy the weather during the summertime.  The one thing that puts a damper on summertime is going back to school and going school shopping. Parents hate it and kids hate it too. It is a final reminder that summer is almost over.

Buying clothes and school supplies for your children can be extremely stressful and costly.  Children want the latest electronics, gadgets and fads their friends have.  Don't let your children pressure you into buying the latest fads or things they don't really need or buy things you know you can’t afford. Only buy things that your children absolutely need for school. This will save you money because we could all use a little extra money these days.   

Talk with your children before going clothes and school shopping and set expectations. Let them know about your finances and what you are going to buy and what you are not going to buy.   Explain to them the difference between needs and wants, and that designer clothes and name brands are not needs.

Ask your children to create a list of mandatory supplies they need for school.  Verify with the school to ensure you have any requires items. Determine what clothes your children can still fit comfortably and make a list of things they need.  Prioritize the list in four categories:  Need Now, Need in 2-4 months, Need in 5-7 months, Need When School Ends.  This will also help you budget your money if you don't have the cash to get everything you need when school begins.  Here are 12 tips to save money when shopping for back to school supplies and clothes.

1. Home. Look around the house to see if you have any leftover supplies from the previous school year.
2. Plan Ahead. Don’t wait until the last minute to buy school supplies. The best store sales start early so plan ahead to take advantage of them. Plan ahead for a few months when shopping during tax free sales.
3. Barter.  If you know a parent who provides services that you need for your children such as tutoring or carpooling and you have clothes or toys your kids are not using consider bartering. Use barter networks such as barternews.com.
4. Network. Mention to family, friends, co-workers and neighbors that you are going school shopping. They may be able to provide money savings tips or may have extra supplies they can give to you for free.
5. Sales. Go to yard sales and dollar stores to find great bargains.
6. Clothes. Buy clothes from a thrift store, consignment shop or discount store such as Old Navy, Kmart, Wal-Mart or Target.  Kids grow quickly and their clothes generally don't last or fit them throughout the entire school year. This will save you money and your kids will still remain fashionable. Buy clothes and shoes if possible at least one size too big so your kids can get more wear out of them.
7. Comparison Shop. Search the internet for reputable websites that sell school supplies at a discount price and purchase items before school starts to get the best deals.  Every few minutes of comparison shopping can save you $1 - $9. Also shop at stores that honor competitor prices and coupons.
8. Know the Prices.  Know the prices before you go shopping. Some stores mark up prices to offset the cost of consumers not paying taxes.  If you don’t you may end up paying more than the original cost of the item.
9. Internet. Search the internet for reputable websites that sell school supplies at a discount price such as Amazon, eBay, Overstock or auction websites.
10. Use Coupons. Use coupons to save even more money on websites such as coupons.com or couponmom.com.
11.  Tax Free:  Take advantage of tax free days in your state to buy school supplies and school clothes for your children.  
12. Use rewards.  Use cash back rewards shopping portals such as www.mrrebates.com/ or www.extrabux.com to save more money.

12 Tips for Saving Money on Back to School Shopping

It’s summertime. Time to relax. Time for vacations, barbeques, swimming pools, beaches and longer days.  Children get to stay up late at night watching television or playing games.  Many families take vacations and enjoy the weather during the summertime.  The one thing that puts a damper on summertime is going back to school and going school shopping. Parents hate it and kids hate it too. It is a final reminder that summer is almost over.

Buying clothes and school supplies for your children can be extremely stressful and costly.  Children want the latest electronics, gadgets and fads their friends have.  Don't let your children pressure you into buying the latest fads or things they don't really need or buy things you know you can’t afford. Only buy things that your children absolutely need for school. This will save you money because we could all use a little extra money these days.   

Talk with your children before going clothes and school shopping and set expectations. Let them know about your finances and what you are going to buy and what you are not going to buy.   Explain to them the difference between needs and wants, and that designer clothes and name brands are not needs.

Ask your children to create a list of mandatory supplies they need for school.  Verify with the school to ensure you have any requires items. Determine what clothes your children can still fit comfortably and make a list of things they need.  Prioritize the list in four categories:  Need Now, Need in 2-4 months, Need in 5-7 months, Need When School Ends.  This will also help you budget your money if you don't have the cash to get everything you need when school begins.  Here are 12 tips to save money when shopping for back to school supplies and clothes.

1. Plan Ahead. Don’t wait until the last minute to buy school supplies. The best store sales start early so plan ahead to take advantage of them. Plan ahead for a few months when shopping during tax free sales.
2. Barter.  If you know a parent who provides services that you need for your children such as tutoring or carpooling and you have clothes or toys your kids are not using consider bartering. Use barter networks such as barternews.com.
3. Sales. Go to yard sales and dollar stores to find great bargains.
4. Clothes. Buy clothes from a thrift store, consignment shop or discount store such as Old Navy, Kmart, Wal-Mart or Target.  Kids grow quickly and their clothes generally don't last or fit them throughout the entire school year. This will save you money and your kids will still remain fashionable. Buy clothes and shoes if possible at least one size too big so your kids can get more wear out of them.
5. Network. Mention to family, friends, co-workers and neighbors that you are going school shopping. They may be able to provide money savings tips or may have extra supplies they can give to you for free.
6. Comparison Shop. Search the internet for reputable websites that sell school supplies at a discount price and purchase items before school starts to get the best deals.  Every few minutes of comparison shopping can save you $1 - $9. Also shop at stores that honor competitor prices and coupons.
7. Home. Look around the house to see if you have any leftover supplies from the previous school year.
8. Internet. Search the internet for reputable websites that sell school supplies at a discount price.
9. Tax Free:  Take advantage of tax free days in your state to buy school supplies and school clothes for your children.  
10. Know the Prices.  Know the prices before you go shopping. Some stores mark up prices to offset the cost of consumers not paying taxes.  If you don’t you may end up paying more than the original cost of the item.
11. Use Coupons. Use coupons to save even more money.
12. Use rewards.  Use cash back rewards shopping portals such as www.mrrebates.com/ or www.extrabux.com to save more money.

Tax Free Sales: Are They Worth It

 Many states offer tax free sales during back to school season.  The tax free sales are when states temporarily suspend state and/or local sales taxes on certain goods.  The tax free sale was created to help parents save money on back to school shopping, but items you buy during the sales tax holiday don't have to be used for school.

Tax free sales may cause you to buy an item you didn’t want simply because it is covered under the tax free sale.  Tax free sale days are not thought about with the consumer in mind.  Some tax free sales are one day or one weekend which may not be enough time to take advantage of the sale if a consumer is working late, has other obligations, is out of town or if another major event is occurring in that city such as a marathon, political event, etc. 

There are some restrictions on when the tax free sale applies, for example some states require you spend at least $100 to avoid paying taxes on a purchase.  This does not benefit the consumer and only benefits the company.  If you spend $100 with a sales tax of 6% you would end up paying a total of $106.  Without the sales tax you spend only $100 but if the items you purchased were already marked up and it cost you $6 or more in gas to drive to the store, did you really save any money?

However, the tax free sale helps small businesses owners gain new customers and get free publicity. It also helps keep money in the community and provides jobs to local residents.   Companies that participate in tax free sales get free advertising and if they are lucky enough to have relationships with local or state politicians they can get even more free advertising through their public support of the tax free sale.  Here are 14 tips to consider when shopping during a tax free sale.

1. Find out what items are exempt.  If items are not labeled ask the store manager to clearly identify what items are exempt.
2. Do research.  If you shop in a state that has a tax free sale you may still have to pay local taxes.  You will save the most money by shopping in areas where state and local taxes are waived.
3. Know the Prices.  Know the prices before you go shopping. Some stores mark up prices to offset the cost of consumers not paying taxes.  If you don’t you may end up paying more than the original cost of the item.
4. Plan Ahead. Don’t think about just the first month of school, plan ahead for a few months when shopping during tax free sales.
5. Compare Prices.  Don’t go overboard and spend more than you can afford.
6. Go early.  Shop early in the morning to avoid the crowds and the fights for parking spaces.
7. Create a list.  Create a shopping list and stick to it. Don’t get wooed by advertisers sales and spend more money than you planned.
8. Use Coupons. Use coupons to save even more money.
9. Use rewards.  Use cash back rewards shopping portals such as www.mrrebates.com/ or www.extrabux.com to save more money.
10. Shop in Tax Free Areas. If you live near a state that is tax free like Delaware factor in the cost of gas and compare prices to see if shopping there will help you to save money.
11. Shop online. Shop online if there is no physical store in your state to take advantage of the tax free sale.
12. Walk away. Be prepared to walk away from a purchase if the total cost is more than you desire to spend.
13. Tax Free Card. Ask stores to offer a Tax Free shopping card similar to the Global Blue Tax Free Shopping Card. After you swipe your card, your Tax Refund Check is issued instantly.
14. Ask for less tax.  Ask your congressman to permanently reduce the overall sales tax for all purchases to help consumers save money or reduce sales tax at least temporarily for 3 – 6 months.