Whether your child is starting Kindergarten or heading off to college, back-to-school time can wreak havoc on your wallet. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to. From shopping for clothes and desk accessories to computers and dorm-room furniture, it’s important to plan ahead. If you don’t, your bills could be sky high and you will be asking yourself why! To avoid overspending when shopping for school this year, follow the following tips:
* Take inventory. Before you head out to buy the “in” outfit of the season, the expensive Binders and book bags or the latest dorm-room accessory, take inventory of what you already have. If you’re like me, you may find unused notebooks, papers, pens and all the extra stuff you bought last school year that you never needed lying around. After seeing what you do have, then start making a list of what you need.
* Search for savings. Look for store coupons and sales in your local newspaper. On Sundays, many local newspapers include ad supplements filled with store savings for the upcoming week. Once you’ve compared prices from store to store and found the best deals on the items that you need, you’ll be ready to shop. Also take advantage of stores that do price matches! Just make sure you have your sales ad’s with you.
* Shop online. avoid the crowded parking lots and stressful last-minute trips to the storeYou’ll often find the best prices on school items online. On Amazon, you can find many back-to-school items, including supplies, clothes, backpacks, furniture, electronics and even textbooks! Between August 11-31, 2010 get $10 off your $50 purchases or $25 off when you spend $100 on kids’, juniors’, and young men’s clothing. Also They have 50 School Supplies Under $5
* Buy more save more when buying in bulk. Buying supplies like pencils or notebooks in larger quantities can help you save money in the long run. If the quantity is more then you need, see if you can split the cost and the items with Friend who’s shopping for school supplies.
* Stick to the list. I admit we are bad when it comes to this. The kids always seem to want to get the cool pretty stuff and all the extras! But only buy the items that are on the list of necessities that you created before you started shopping. Sticking to the list will help you stick to your budget.
*KEEP THE KIDS AT HOME- When Buying supplies your better of going alone! If your kids are like mine they always find a way to sneak the little extra’s in the cart! Don’t let school shopping break the bank and be stressful!
