School Supplies

The time is here again for that dreaded back to school shopping.  Many of you may dread it even more this year because of job lay-offs and other financial woes due to the country’s’ economic decline.  Money has therefore decreased in many households, but the cost of school supplies remain the same, or has even increased.  The Huntington annual survey of the cost of items on school recommended lists found that the average cost to send a child to school this fall is approximately $474 for elementary school, $545 for middle school and a an enormous $1,000 for high school.  This, for some, might at first appear insurmountable but shopping for school supplies does not have to break the bank.   If you need to shop for school on a budget, put a little thought and effort into it and try these steps for reducing the cost of school supplies.

STEPS:

1.  Start early- get your school supply list early. Make sure that it is the official school   recommended list so that you will know everything that is needed. Begin accessing what will be needed and shopping early.  For clothing, don’t try to buy all at once.  Have one nice new set of clothing for the first school week, but spread the rest out over a few months.

2.  Make a list- List everything that will be needed for each child, including school recommended supplies and clothing.  Add the expected costs to the list.

Find out what your child needs versus what they want.  Get what is needed and if money permits, get what is wanted.

3.  Make a budget –and stick to it.  Don’t be persuaded to add to the budget by crying pleas.

4.  Look around the house- before going shopping; look around the house for any items that may be on the list.  Look for items from the previous year and from your office.  All school supplies don’t have to be brand new.

5.  Use Coupons-collect coupons for in store as well as on-line shopping.  By mid-August, many retailers offer large discounts, especially on shoes, clothing and electronics. Don’t hesitate to ask for a discount. Use a valid K-12 or college ID at tech stores and you are likely to get a large discount.  You can save hundreds on back to school shopping this way.

6.  Shop around and take advantage of sales- [removed]// <![CDATA[ jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery('#jsArticleStep5 span.image a:first').attr('href','http://i.ehow.com/images/a04/8e/ti/save-school-supplies-1.5-800X800.jpg'); });
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Check your local newspaper for sales and take advantage of them.  You don’t have to get everything from one store.  Price Grabberthrough eDeals allows you to compare prices from store to store. PriceFight.com lets you know instantly if a price drops on a product.

7. Use Tax-Free shopping-Thirteen states have “tax-free” shopping days.  Find out if your state is one of these.

8.  Personalize items-
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// ]]>[removed] Skip the book-bags and lunch boxes with the popular cartoon characters on them. Generic versions of backpacks, book-bags and lunch boxes are much cheaper.  Make the generic items interesting by using appliqués and stickers to personalize them.

If you are looking for items that will last a long time, buy from a reputable company. That way, if a zipper breaks, the item will be replaced at no cost to you.

About the Author

Audrey Robinson is a research scientist in Cell and Molecular Biology.  She is dedicated to the field of cancer research and has striven to support this research through her internet business marketing products for financial education and wealth management. She is also a coach for internet marketers.  Visit her websites  http://www.successinmasteringwealth.com/?t=articlesbase  and http://www.meetaudreyrobinson.com/?t=articlesbase  which offer help for those seeking financial freedom and independence, wealth management education, and information on important health and social issues.