Five Back-to-School Shopping Tips To Save Money!

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by Edward M. Brancheau

5 Back-to-School Shopping Tips

Time to start buying school supplies - and don't forget the clothing, bags and decisions and arguments about brand name or no name products.

If you are a parent buying for your grade school children you've been learning the ropes for a few years. However, if your child is new to school or you're doing your own school shopping for the first time, you can benefit from a heads up on how, what and where to shop.

These five tips will help you save money AND your sanity!

DON'T DELAY

Shop early to avoid disappointment and get the best deals. Last minute shoppers will find their favorite stores are out of stock.

There will be plenty of supplies on sale by August. Don't forget dollar stores for low prices on pens, paper and a myriad of other necessary items.

Got off to a late start? Then check out office supply or stationary stores, where they're likely to stay well-stocked on all the essentials. These kinds of stores can save you a lot of time and effort since they're bound to have what you need.

BUY AT BIG BOX STORES

If you have friends who are shopping for their kids you could try looking at membership stores or other bulk outlets as this will help save money.

You may not be able to get everything you need but essentials like paper, pens and the like can be loaded up and split among everyone saving you money.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Parents or classmates may be able to arrange for their school to purchase discounted supplies in bulk, sharing the reduced costs with everyone.

Not only will this mean great savings - it also saves you all the hassle of finding supplies, shopping around or dealing with complaints about brands or colors.

SEASON'S END SAVINGS

Stock up now on summer clothes and sportswear. End-of-season sales are a great way to find deals on clothes, especially for children participating in after school sports.

Make sure that the clothes you but now can be used in the winter. Choose skirts that can be worn with woollen tights and tank tops that can be worn under shirts. Cropped trousers can also be tucked into high winter boots. Forward thinking can provide your kids with a trendy winter wardrobe.

Be wary of school dress codes when buying clothes. Rules such as skirt length and showing bare shoulders may be in force.

THE PERFECT BACKPACK

Don't forget the bag! Kids bags are often far too large and heavy for them which leads to sore muscles and even headaches. Always choose a backpack that sits no lower than the waist and look for styles with padded shoulder straps and a waist strap for added support.

Carrying a backpack or heavy purse or bag on one shoulder can cause injury. Heavy books should be carried in a backpack which is worn on both shoulders. However, if you prefer a bag or sac, it should be the kind which has a body strap since they do a better job of spreading the weight.

Have fun with back-to-school shopping and don't get to stressed. Look forward to the excitement and possibilities ahead of you in the new school year.

Donna Brancheau has been teaching & tutoring in San Diego for over 30 years. For awesome tutoring advice, visit her tutoring web site, Horizon Bound. Also, you can get unique copies of this article or other wonderful education articles to use on your web site!

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