7 Ways To Save Money On Back To School Shopping

August is just around the corner. That means the kids come back from camp and the school supply frenzy may officially begin. For many of us, that means loosening the purse strings and start spending oodles of money in hopes that, with all the right supplies, your child will have no excuse not to be a straight A student. It's true that properly stocking your child for his or her back to school needs will aid productivity, but it doesn't have to be as expensive every year. Here are a handful of tips that will keep green in your pocket and (hopefully) red off your kid's homework.

1) Stick to a list
It's true for food shopping and it's true for back to school shopping - following a specific list will have you buying only what you need. School's usually give out a list of required materials for the school year. If your child's school doesn't provide a list, here are some sample lists with the universal essentials:
Grade K - 3 (pdf)
Grade 4 - 6 (pdf)
Grade 7 - 11 (pdf)
When you go without a list, you're basically saying that you'll be looking at advertising and marketing to tell you what you need and, though it may seem indispensable, there's little need for a set of colored sharpies in junior high.

2) Keep an eye out for deals
Knowing about the prices and specials each store offers ahead of time is the best way to decide where you're going to do your back to school shopping. For those living in Canada, www.smartcanucks.ca is a great site to find deals for all the local retail stores.

3) Shop for durability
The biggest reason why people spend more money is because they shop for the short term and in the long run they end up spending more. A vinyl binder may be less expensive, but it will likely have to be replace by the end of a semester, if not sooner. A quality binder will last at least 5x longer, making it a much better value for your dollar. The same goes for backpacks. Opt for a bag with a lifetime warranty. They're sure to be a quality product that can be used for a few years in a row. If you avoid a second supply run in the middle of the semester, that saves an extra $20-$30.

4) Wash your binders
An earlier article describes how you can clean your Storex binder and have it look like new. You'd be surprised how long your binder is usable when it doesn't have any marks or stains. Again, extending the life of the binder means putting off having to spend money replacing it.

5) Shop online
The ultimate way to avoid distractions, save time and save money is to do your shopping online. A lot of online stores will offer a promo code to take a certain percentage off your final bill. Shopping online means you'll add to your cart only what you're looking for and you won't happen on superfluous items while browsing the aisle.

6) Shop at price matching stores
If you decide what you need before going to the store, you can find the cheapest prices on all your items in whatever store they may be, then bring the flyers to a price matching store (like Staples) that will give you 110% of the difference, giving you the lowest possible total on your shopping list.

7) Check your stock
Your first destination for back to school supplies won't be any store or website. It'll be in your own closet. Go through all the leftover, unused school supplies in your house and see what you can check off your list. Every item you find lying around the house that can be carried over to the next school year means more money that gets to stay warm and happy in your pocket.

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