Frugal Back to School Shopping

Save Money on Clothing and School Supplies

Jul 17, 2007 Barb Hacker

Use these five tips to save money during the back to school shopping season.

Back to school time is upon us, though it seems like the summer has just barely started. The back to school shopping season is a lucrative one for retailers, but it can be a cash-strapped one for parents. Here are a few tips to save money during the back to school shopping season.

Make a List

Evaluate your child’s wardrobe and determine what still fits and what needs to be replaced. Figure out how many pairs of pants, shirts, socks, underwear and shoes your child needs to comfortably make it through a week. Check the school supply list from the teacher and weed through last year’s leftover school supplies for anything that might still be usable. Heavy duty items like clipboards and backpacks can usually be used for more than one year, while items like crayons need to be replaced each year. Make a master list of all the items you will need to purchase before the school year starts.

Hit the Garage Sales

Chances are you won’t find school supplies at a garage sale, but you may find clothing. Gently used clothes at bargain prices will stretch your back to school budget considerably. Clothing tends to be the most expensive part of back to school shopping, so any savings here will have a big impact.

Check the Sales Fliers

Department stores will send out back to school sales fliers soon. Each store often offers a few items at extremely low prices. These loss leaders are designed to draw the costumer into the store in the hopes that they will complete all of their back to school shopping in one stop. Savvy shoppers can take advantage of the sales at each store and get the best prices possible on a variety of items.

Start Early

Waiting until the last minute to do back to school shopping might result in a few great sale purchases, but overall, more money will be spent trying to get all the items at once. Prices on other back to school supplies will go up at the last minute, making those sale prices a wash. Starting early ensures that you will be able to find all of the items your child needs and get the best prices at the same time.

Wait an Extra Month or Two

School supplies generally need to be brought to school on the first day, but all the clothing does not need to be purchased ahead of time. Ensuring that your child has one special, new outfit for the first day of school is often enough. Wait until the next month to make additional purchases to ease the initial financial burden. Most children start school at the end of the summer when the weather is still warm enough for summer clothes. Long pants and long-sleeved shirts will often not be practical right away and purchases can be delayed.

The back to school shopping season does not have to deplete a parent’s checking account. Reusing old items, smart shopping and timely shopping can ease the burden and make the back to school time a financial breeze.

For another take on family budgeting, read Kara Williams' article Save Money by Thinking Ahead.

The copyright of the article Frugal Back to School Shopping in Family Finances is owned by Barb Hacker. Permission to republish Frugal Back to School Shopping in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.