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Saving $$$ on Back to School Supplies & Fashions (Giveaway ends 8/7/13)

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Girl drawing back to school

It’s one of the most dreaded phrases in most children’s lives – back to school time. I know that summer seems like it just began, but the reality is that many children will be heading back to school in about a month from now. Many students start school in late August.

I honestly don’t know how large families afford shopping for back to school. Just the supplies alone is enough to make you feel like you have to take out a second mortgage on your home. Supplies can cost hundreds of dollars – and that is just for two children. I don’t know how parents of 3, 4, 5 or more children do it.

Supplies are one thing, back to school clothing is another. It amazes me how quickly kids grow, even teenagers. Some how they never fit their clothes from the year before and you end up buying an entire new wardrobe. I’m grateful that my teenage daughter has stopped growing (although she’s very petite). Meanwhile my son just keeps growing and growing and growing. I refuse to spend a lot of money on clothing for him because no sooner do we buy him something he outgrows it. I’ve actually started to buy clothes a bit too big for him just so he gets more wear out of them.

There are several ways you can help reduce the costs associated with back to school shopping. Here are a few tips that my family does to help lessen the costs.

Stock up – Throughout the school year if I happen to come across a great sale on school supplies (paper, notebooks, pens…) I stock up on the supplies I know my kids will need.

Shop at discount stores – The loose leaf paper from the dollar and discount stores is just as good as paper you buy at the big name office supply stores, and a lot cheaper too. Often these types of stores carry most of the supplies you need.

Recycle – At the end of the school year I look over my kid’s binders and notebooks. If they are in reasonable condition, or have plenty of paper left in them, I put t hem aside and have my kids use them the next school year.

Money saving coupons

Buy out of season – If your child has stopped growing, or if you want to “guesstimate” what size your child will be wearing, take advantage of off season sales and clearance items. If the spring pick up sweaters, jeans and long sleeve shirts. In the colder months check out the clearance racks for short sleeve shirts and shorts.

Take stock – Have your children go through their drawers and closets. Toss out things that are worn or stained. Take stock of what they have and what they need so you don’t end up buying too much.

Buy only the necessities – Resist your kids begging and pleading to buy things that you know that they don’t truly need. One or two things is fine but don’t go overboard.

Coupons, Coupons, Coupons – You can’t go wrong with coupons. Check out places like Passion for Savings. There you can check out coupons and discounts for many stores you might shop at like Target, Walmart, Staples and CVS. I found some JCPenny printable coupons on their site that I plan on using to pick up some clothing for my kids.

Another suggestion would be to borrow the big ticket items you might need, or see if a friend or relative has what you need that they no longer have a use for. One you my daughter needed a very expensive calculator that we couldn’t afford. Thankfully my husband’s friend’s son had one that he no longer needed so they generously gave it to us.

If you have more than one child be sure to save some of the things from the older child for the younger child 0r children. For example, my daughter takes Italian in school. We purchased several English/Italian books for her (dictionaries and the like). Our son takes Italian too. He now uses those same books because our daughter no longer needs them.

A lesson we learned a few years ago from a friend is DON’T buy a lot of back to school clothing. Buy a first day of school outfit instead. Most likely kids will resort to the clothes they currently have after the first day or two of school when the novelty is over. Instead wait until later September/early October when most of the back to school fashions are on sale.

I’m sure many readers have some great tips or suggestions on keeping the costs of back to school shopping down.

25-Visa-Gift-Card

I have a $25 Visa gift card to giveaway to a lucky reader, compliments of Passion For Savings. Thank you Passion For Savings! Feel free to stop by and check them out at PassionForSavings.com.

This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end at 11:59 PM (EST) on August 7, 2013. The winner will be chosen at random using a random number generator from all eligible entries. The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have three days to respond or a new winner will be chosen in their place.

To enter please comment on this post and share with me a money saving tip for back to school shopping.

For extra entries you can use the Rafflecopter widget (below) but you must complete the initial entry requirement or the additional entries won’t qualify.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kimberly

*This post is curtosey of Passion For Savings however the thoughts and opinions are my own and not influenced in any way. Passion For Savings will be providing the prize.

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Comments

  1. Make of list of what is needed. See what we have from the previous school year and then go through the store flyers and shop by flyer for the discounts. Go on line to see if there are coupons or deals regarding the needed items.

  4. Well we’re past it now, oldest is 16, but when younger and school clothes shopping we’d always bring one of his friends to shop with us because if the friend liked it, he’d be more likely to wear it after buying it… as opposed to years before doing this, the school clothes we’d buy that would never be worn

  5. go to yard sales and thrift stores for clothes, if there are books kids need for english get them at the library or thrift stores, don’t buy them new! Comparison shop always!

  7. My best tip would be to shop the sales–never pay full price. And if the item you want isn’t something that’s needed the first day of school, wait until the stores put back-to-school products on clearance, which should be soon after school starts because they’ll want the space for Halloween stuff.

  9. Shop sales and use coupons 🙂 I also buy in bulk to last all school year.

  10. I stock up on things I know I will nedd when I find it on sale. My kids ALWAYS need composition notebooks, when I found them on sale for 25 cents, I bought 20 of them. I know I will need them then I am not rushing the sales to find them.—

  11. My best back to school money saving tip is to get the list of items needed from your kid’s class before you shop. Their teacher usually supplies most of what they need in my kid’s school, so I wait for the list before I spend money.

  12. My best back to school money saving tip is to get the list of items needed from your kid’s class before you shop. Their teacher usually supplies most of what they need in my kid’s school, so I wait for the list before I spend money.

  13. My best back to school tips are look for sales and discounts, shop around and do price comparisons online before heading out to the store and use coupons whenever possible to save money.

    callawishes(at)hotmail(dot)com

  14. My biggest is to never shop the back to school sales! I always try to stock up whenever I find a good sale year round instead of getting everything in August.

  18. I shop sales and use coupons. I also do price comparisons between stores.

  19. I try to shop early so I can hunt for the best deals….I have a bin in the hall closet where I store things. Sometimes I shop clearance after school has been in session to get items for next year.

  21. My best school money saving tip is to take advantage of the sales. Also try not to buy products until you know for sure your child needs them. That’s happened to my daughters in the past and they ended up not even using supplies that were “required”.

  22. Shop early but just for the sale items. Wait, and make sure you don’t buy things you won’t need for the rest. A couple of weeks later, everything goes on clearance anyway.

  25. I have a general idea about some of the school supplies they will need; so, if I see someone is having a sale I will go ahead and purchase the items.

  27. I like to buy supplies early while they are on sale. We also wait to buy “back to school” clothes until they are on sale. We’ve learned that most of the clothes we buy are for cooler weather, and if we wait, they’ll be on sale.

  29. I shop for clothes at garage sales summer months and watch for sales before school starts

  30. Always look for sales and coupons. Also thrift stores can has some really great stuff for cheap.

  31. Look for the back to store special offers at stores, and shop multiple stores to get the best deals.

  36. Stock up on supplies when they go on sale and use the tax-free weekend to your advantage.
    jtmagmom73(at)gmail(dot)com

  39. I subscribe to stores email and mailing lists so that I can have deals and specials sent to me.

  40. There are so many places competing for back to school shoppers, so don’t just go buy from the closest one.

  42. Shop for common items when on sale and use the list provided by the school to avoid spending money on unnecessary items.

  44. I always look for the best sales and deals and also using coupons is a great way to save money on school clothes and school supplies.

  46. Buy year round when there is a good sale, then you won’t be rushing and paying more later.

  50. One of my tips for saving money at the beginning of the school year is to space out purchases for the classroom like paper towels and tissues. Since so many parents turn that stuff in at the beginning, I wait until a semester or two in and then bring that stuff. I have more money for school clothes and sometimes I can get the stuff really cheap by waiting for sales and using coupons.

  51. my advice to always stock up when the sales hit for the following year

  53. To start now, they already have great deals. I already bought school supplies.

  54. Coupon and Target coupon back to school supplies, stock up on free and great deals!

  55. watch for sales and rebates, I also tend to shop for school clothing all year round, may get a few new pieces at regular price but usually I buy a bit larger for my daughter for the next year to wear often when these items are on seasonal clearance.

  58. I start shopping early, and buy as things go on sale. If you wait until the last minute you’re stuck paying full price on supplies and clothes.

  59. You can usually score some great deals right after school starts! Easy to store the items away for later in the year!

  68. Patiently wait! Everything will go on sale at least twice if not more throughout the summer. Keep you eye out for sales and shop for what you need once it goes on sale. Even if that means going to different stores. It will help you save. Also, make sure you compare costs on single sold items versus those in multi-packs. For instance, Wal-mart had a 3-Pack of Pearl erasers for $1.48. Seemed like a good deal. However, they had the single Pearl erasers for $0.25 each. So, I was able to get 3 Pearl erasers for $.75 cents vs. the 3-pack for $1.48.

  69. I always keep an eye out for Staples fliers – they always have some really good savings for schooltime.

  70. always buy extra supplies when on sale so you can replenish through out the year

  72. I shop for basic supplies all year round and stock up when I find great deals. Thanks for the chance to win!
    mrsmchappell at gmail dot com

  75. I use coupons and I also buy a bunch of the basics at the end of September and save them for the following year.

  78. Best tip is to check sales ads for sales then search for coupons to use with the sale items.

  79. i watch for sales throughout the year so we don’t shop and spend all at one time

  85. I always make sure to watch for school supply coupons, and then hit up the back to school sales! Also, I buy supplies on sale throughout the year & stash them away for the next school year!

  90. My back to school shopping tip is to make a list of everything we need and set a dollar limit before beginning to shopping. Then stick to it.

  93. My best back to school money saving tip is this: divide & conquer. There are MANY stores with MANY sales. If you run all over to hit them all, you’re going to eat up all your savings on gas. Work with family & friends & each of you pick up a specific great sale item for all the others at a store your going to.

  94. Each Sunday, I go through our local sale papers and pick out the best deals on back to school items. Since each store is fairly close, I pick up at each store the best priced items that I need. I’m usually finished with back to school shopping in a few trips and I get the best prices.

  95. It’s best to price match with Walmart. It’s also good to watch Staples and Office Depot sales papers for their 1 cent sales. Thank you!

  96. Shop at more than once store. Another store might have some of the items you need at a cheaper price, and another store might have a cheaper backpack you need.

  97. use coupons and check sales ads I combine my coupons and money back deals to save on everything

  104. I try and shop a few weeks after school starts to get better savings on clothes!

  105. I like to stock up on things I know I will need when they go on clearance the year before. Things like folders, backpacks, lunchboxes, post its, etc.

  106. We have a neighborhood swap/sale for kids clothes – everyone loves it!
    Thank you.

  109. For clothing, the clearance rack is your best friend. Target usually has a ton of nice stuff for under $10.

  110. My best tip would be to buy supplies in bulk from stores like Staples and Sam’s Club and save the extra items for the next school term/semester!

  114. When possible, buy things in bulk; for example, a six-pack of notebooks is often less expensive per notebook than if you bought six separate notebooks.

  115. Consider thrift stores and consignment stores for clothing. We just went to our consignment store and they were having a huge half off sale. The clothes are generally higher quality and I scored a ton of items for about $2-3 a piece, many of them brand new items with tags still on. You cannot match that at a box store. With so many styles and trends popular and the freedom of self expression you can usually find something your child will adore. Thank you for the wonderful giveaway!

    girlygirlugh at gmail dot com

  117. I don’t have any kids that go to school anymore, but when they did I always watched the ads before I shopped.

    karenb834atyahoo.com

  118. Shop ahead of time and be ready for the sales. Plus, put money aside ahead of time!

  119. Don’t overbuy until you actually get to school, I know they have lists, but they usually end up not needing everything.. (get the loss leaders when they go on sale). Then get the clearance when the stores are getting rid of it all.

  123. Try to watch the sales papers when it gets close to time for school to starts, Office Depot,
    Staples always run great deals that you can store for later in the year.

  124. Don’t buy what you don’t need. Buy on sale items they will use all year, like paper and pencils

  132. I buy supplies during the school year for the next year instead of just before school starts when the prices may be higher.

  138. We have tax free weekend in NC and I try to buy most of what we need during that weekend when everything is on sale. I also save and use coupons whenever possible.

    jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]com

  139. I shop after school starts for the next year when everything is deeply discounted.

  140. When buying clothes buy only one or two new outfits and save the rest for the Labor Day sales. Big savings and the kids still feel like they got new stuff for school.

  141. I shop early. I shop with coupons. I always catch the big sales. You can get some really good deals if you are careful.

  143. buy on-sale items for next year at the same time, but in a different color–so it feels new!

  144. buy supplies at the end of the school year when they’re usually on sale for next season

  145. Check sales throughout the year and get the supplies as you go. It helps. online auction sites like listia doesn’t hurt either.

  154. Shop early for the best deals on school supplies..as cheap as free or .01!

    trippyjanet at gmail dot com

  159. I compare prices between stores and then make my purchases based on price and discounts.

  161. Shop around and make sure to compare all ads.I also go to thrift stores a lot.

  168. lol, but i tear the used pages in notebooks and send em back to school with last years paper!

  171. Buy quality items that can be used for several years- Better Binders and high quality backpack.

  173. I always buy clothes and supplies at end of season clearance sales for the following year.

  179. There are usually some great coupons in the newspaper around school time for school supplies
    annabella @ centurytel dot net

  186. I look around, most places have some good deals at back to school time so I stock up on things I’ll want at home too

  190. My tip is to check out al the sales flyers and find the best prices for the items you are seeking. Be sure to look for any available coupons, and get loyalty cards to get store discounts.

  203. I pick up the basics that the kids need (paper, pencils, folders, notebooks) when they’re on sale and buy extra backpacks to have on hand for when theirs falls apart.

  204. I try to get some of the basic supplies the year before when there are after school clearance sales. Then I get the remaining items by sticking to the sales.

  205. Shop the sales and don’t forget to check out the office supply stores as they get great deals

  207. Make a list of what is needed and then watch sales and buy when the needed items are on sale. Thanks for this contest.

  211. you should plan to do your School shopping when they have the tax free weekend in your state

  213. I buy school supplies 1 year ahead, so I buy next years supplies when this years go on clearance.

  214. Well, this year our school board has placed a policy where all students wear uniforms….although my 8th grader can’t stand it, it sure will save me a lot of money on back to school clothes!

  219. Thanks for the giveaway…get the school supply shopping list from your school before summer break, or the week before school starts so you can “shop to the list”.

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