10 tips to save money on that long list of school supplies

The back-to-school deals are in full swing right now and it's time to think about paper, pens, crayons, backpacks, notebooks, calculators and much more! Here are some tips to remember when gathering all the items from the very long list of supplies that many of your kids are expected to bring to class.

The list for one of my girls a number of years ago had 23 items on it. If I had paid full retail for the 23 items on the list, it would cost approximately $72.00 and that did not include her backpack, lunch box and school clothes! I have two children but I know many families who have 3 or more children and the supply cost really adds up when you have a big family.

So, what is a parent to do? Your child needs the paper, pens and notebooks, but you also need to pay the mortgage and eat. If you are feeling the pinch of school supply costs, it’s time to get creative so you don’t overpay for supplies that you can find for a fraction of the retail price.

Before you do any shopping, make sure you have the school supply list for your child's school and grade. Most schools send them out to families (or you get them at orientation) and many big box stores have them at the store. If your kids are in high school, they may not have these required supply lists.

Once you know the supplies you need, take a look around your own home to see what you may already have. Did your child have any extra supplies at the end of last year? Determine if they are in good enough shape to use again this year. Items like scissors and rulers can often be used for more than one school year. Before going school supply shopping for my girls (who are now out of high school), I always “shopped” the plastic storage container under our bed with school supplies I had bought frugally over the last year, including the back to school clearance last September.

Stores that offer excellent school supply sales include office supply stores (there will be plenty of items that are $0.25 to $0.50), drug stores, dollar stores and big box stores. Even some of the grocery stores offer good deals.

Many stores will be offering great loss leader buys every week through the first week of September. These sales involve selling a few items at really low price, where they may actually lose money to lead you into the store. They realize that once you are in the store, with your long school supply list, that you will be tempted to just get everything at that store so you can be done with the shopping. You end up paying $3.00 for a pair of scissors that you could have bought for $1.00 at a different store. Your willingness to go to a few different stores to get the best buys can save you a significant amount of money.

Some of the best deals are on store brand items, which you won’t be able to price match. Often, the brand name crayons, colored pencils or glue sticks are twice the price of the generic brands. Some will argue (and have commented in years past ), that some brands work much better than others. The good news is that even the name brands go on sale during this time so look for those sales on the brands you love. If you are willing to try some of the store brands, you may be pleasantly surprised at their quality and thrilled with the price.

Look in the store sale flyers for coupons each week, use the Target Cartwheel coupons, use store digital coupons on their websites and apps, look for coupons in the Sunday insert coupons and stack them with sales to get the best buys. If you sign up on store websites to get e-mails, they will often send coupons.

By January, kids often run out of paper, pencils, notebooks, etc and need new ones for the second half of the school year. They will not be $0.25 during Valentine’s Day, so now is the time to stock up. January is when I used to go shopping in the storage container under the bed that I mentioned earlier.

If there is a particular item your child wants for back to school, but doesn’t really need, let your child know that he can buy it with his own money. If he really wants it, then he can have it….at his own expense.

If there is an item he needs but he wants a more expensive version than another one that is just as good, let him know that he can have the more expensive version if he pays the difference with his own cash. I have done this a few times when my daughters were teens and it worked well. They often (but not always) decided to keep their own money and opt for the less expensive item that mom was willing to pay for in full. Now, my recent high school graduate is a thrift store black belt and can find amazing deals on all her favorite brands for a fraction of the retail cost!

Many credit card companies and retailers offer rewards like gift cards and rebates when you buy qualifying items. You may be able to cash in your Visa reward points for a Walmart, Staples or Target gift card that can be used to lower your out of pocket cost for school supplies.

By mid-September, stores are marking down school supplies and that’s a great time to do a little more stocking up for later in the year and even for the next year. When stores hit 75% off, there are some super deals to be had.

Although this is not a money saving suggestion, it is one I hope you will consider. Buying a few extra of the very best deals for those who can’t is an easy way to pay it forward and help our neighbors who may be struggling. There are usually a couple kids in each class who have parents that are unable to afford their child’s school supplies for whatever reason. Setbacks can happen to any one at any time. When you find 2 pocket folders, crayons, glue, rulers and more for a quarter, that’s a great time to buy a few extra to give to the teacher for those kids who don’t have enough supplies. We all know that teachers spend a bunch of their own money on supplies and this is an easy and frugal way to help, if you are able.

The key when buying school supplies is to only buy what you need and shop the best deals each week until school starts. With a little patience and a few extra trips to score the best buys, you can save hundreds, which you will need for the back to school clothes, sports gear, activity fees and instrument rentals! As I always say, it’s your money – spend it wisely!