How to Save Money Buying Back To School Supplies

It's back to school time and the school supply lists are longer than ever. If you are on a tight budget or just want to save a little money, here are some ways to help you save money on school supplies.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Don't take babies and toddlers with you to buy school supplies. If the child is too young to be in school they will only be a distraction in an already chaotic environment.

2. Don't take small children with you when shopping for school supplies. Elementary age children are especially susceptible to advertising. If they go with you instead of paying 10 cents fro a folder you will spend $1.50 for one with a certain animated character on it.

3. Let your children decorate their supplies. As mentioned above, buy the cheap folders, supply boxes and pouches. Then let your children decorate them with stickers and scrap booking supplies. You probably already have stickers at home and if not, they are pretty cheap. This way you save money on school supplies and they can have the animated characters they want.

4. Try to buy school supplies on state tax free holidays. You will not pay any sales tax for these three or four days, so it's really worth it to plan your school shopping for this time period. If you live near a state line, then check to see if surrounding states also have tax free holidays. This will give you several weekends to shop tax free.

5. Carefully examine Sunday sales fliers for sales at nontraditional places. This time of year, stores are all competing for your business. That means that while you may be able to save on pencils at Walmart, you may be able to find folders on sale at Walgreens or another drug store. And don't forget about places like Big Lots or Freds, they have some amazing deals on school supply basics.

6. If your child needs a new lunch box, skip the school supply section of the store and go over to the summer clearance. There you will find plenty of insulated totes and mini coolers that work just as well for bargain basement prices.
   Consider buying school supplies in bulk and splitting them with a friend or neighbor. If you find a great deal on ruled paper, but don't need 40 packs, split the cost with a neighbor. The same applies for pens that come in packs of 20. Ask yourself if your child really needs all those pens or paper.

7. Use coupons. Now you may be thinking that there aren't many coupons available for pens, paper and other school supplies, and your right. But think about those other school supplies that are always on your child's list like tissues and hand sanitizer. These things really add up and saving a few dollars will help.

Tips & Warnings

• Unless you are buying teachers schools supplies, stay away from school supply stores. Although they have many items to choose from, the prices are usually too high.