Back-to-School Shopping Tips

It’s that time of year again, when children everywhere start counting down their last days of freedom and parents get ready to outfit them for another year of school. Here are some quick tips to save money this year:

• Bring a list – It may sound obvious, but make sure you bring along a list of all of the required school supplies and all of the clothing your kids need.
• Stick to the list – Back-to-school-shopping is already expensive enough, don’t make it more painful with impulse items.
• Leave the kids at home – What your children don’t know they’re missing won’t hurt them.
• Shop tax-free – Check to see if your state has a tax-free weekend, if it does you can save a bundle on supplies, clothes and expensive items like laptops.
• Don’t skimp on the important things – Going cheap on bigger-ticket items may be tempting, but there’s no point in buying a inexpensive backpack that you’re going to have to replace in a month.
• Don’t shop at just one store – It may be handy to get everything on your list from calculators to clothing under one roof, but you might be missing out on some great deals, so shop around.
• Check what you already have – You may be surprised at how many things are lurking in your kid’s desks and old backpacks.
• Shop late – Stores mark down lots of school supplies as soon as school starts, so see if you can wait it out or just stop in after your regular shopping to get enough refills for the year at a deep discount.