300_658742Money Saving Tips on School Supplies

Does purchasing school supplies make you feel broke? It doesn’t have to. Here are some strategies to prevent wasting money on all those back to school needs.

Look for old stuffs at home

Before you go to a store, take a stroll around your home to see if there are any stuffs on your kid’s school supplies that you might already have. Rulers, pen containers, calculators, bags and the likes need not to be changed every year. Don’t be scared to use old things if they are still in good condition.

Look for stores’ discounts

School and office supplies stores do anything for your back to school money, and that gives a good chance for you. Be vigilant on weekly sales and choose the best buy from each store. Just keep in mind that because store A wants you to spend your back to school budget at their store, doesn’t mean you have to; just buy the item on sale and go to the next store.

Go for tax-free holidays

Various states give tax-free holidays at the beginning of the school year. Try to find out if state you live in has one planned and take advantage of it. Purchasing on the right day could take as much as 10% off of your back to school budget.

Purchase only what you need

All those fun add-ons can be attractive once you’re in a store– from fancy papers to colored pens, etc.  That stretches out the list but your budget is does not. To prevent spending too much money, figure out how you’ll manage your kid’s demands for unnecessary stuff before you go out to store.

Customize

School supplies that have simpler look always have lesser price compared to others. Kids however want to have some fun with their stuff. A good solution is to buy the plain ones, which are budget-friendly and just let your kids pour their artistic side to it. Have them customize it with stickers and colorful doodles.

Always go for quality

Don’t just get the most affordable choice available. Invest some time looking at how things are made, and pick the items that look like they’re going to last. Go for the bag with life-time guarantee; select the spiral notebooks with resilient plastic covers. You may pay more now, but if it indicates you won’t have to buy another one later, you’ll end up coming out ahead.