Endless stacks of pens, crayons, notebooks and other supplies are filling store shelves; TV commercials are starting to highlight stock up sales on uniform pieces. Even though we are still in the dog days of summer, back to school season is upon us — ready or not!
The challenge of sending your student off to class properly supplied is a daunting and expensive task for many parents. Whether you are tearfully dropping off a little one for their first day of Kindergarten or holding on for those last few moments before leaving your first born at college, below are several tips that can help lessen the financial blow when it comes to the supply process:
Master the Art of Bulk Sharing — Even if you are a household with 2 or more kids, buying items in bulk sometimes isn’t feasible — With kids of different ages in different grades, each one might have specific supply needs that the others don’t. Instead of trying to force a bulk purchase across your household, collaborate with neighbors and parents of your child’s classmates to find ways to bulk purchase across the age bracket. Buying 10 glue sticks to be shared across five families makes more sense than you buying way more than you need for your first grader. Remember, when a bulk purchase equates to a lower per-unit price, that only really makes sense if you can actually use all the items in the bulk purchase. Unused or wasted items in a multi-pack end up raising your overall per unit expense.
Become a Buy Nothing Expert — Without fail, as one set of students moves up into a new grade or school, another set is coming in to take its place — Often needing the same things the students above them just did. There are many “Buy Nothing” groups on Facebook that are often hyper-local to your specific community or town. Need a gently used protractor or drafting pencil set? Set of test prep books or a mini-fridge for a dorm room? Before hitting Amazon or your local store to pay full price, join and scout your local Buy Nothing group to find items that make sense to embrace second hand. Best of all, most of these groups following a gifting (no fee paid) or exchange model where you may have something that benefits another local parent and you swap. Even knocking a few items off your supply list can help your wallet out!
Keep an Eye on the Tax Man — Well, the sales tax man that is! Many big box and online retailers will frequently offer ‘tax-free’ sales where sales tax is suspended for the week or weekend. Save your larger purchases or bulk buys for those periods if possible. Depending on your local tax rates you can knock close to 10 percent off your expenses with no effort.
Sign Up for Alerts and Rewards — Even if during the rest of the year you try to minimize your email inbox, take a little time to sign up for e-blasts and alerts from your favorite retailers. Instead of spending time scouring sites or stores looking for sales, let the offers come right to you. Also be sure to sign up for favorite retailers’ reward programs which may offer additional savings or bonus dollars to use on purchases.
Pre-Collaborate with Roommates — Many universities now offer options for future roommates to get in touch with each other well before move in day. Previously, you might have outfitted your student with a microwave and air fryer only to find out the roommate’s parents have done the same, and neither of you brought a coffee maker! Encourage your student to communicate with other roommates well in advance to coordinate purchases and maximize space within cramped dorm or apartment quarters. Minimize clutter and maximize financial efficiency in one step!
Utilize the “Save for Later” Feature when Online Shopping — This is especially true when shopping for big-ticket items such as laptops or tablets and furniture. Do your online shopping and select the items you think are the best fit — then leave them in your cart and leave the site. Or, if on Amazon, select the “save for later” option. Most online retailers have algorithms that identify ‘orphaned’ items in carts — meaning things people are interested in but didn’t buy. You may find yourself mysteriously receiving an email discount offer or alert or reduced price for the item without any additional effort on your part.
Take Inventory Before you Buy — While this is true for most major shopping duties (grocery, household supplies, etc.) — It is extra important to do this before you embark on back to school shopping. Why? Back to school shopping is a little different than most other shopping tasks as it is specifically function-focused and has a limited window of use. For example, buying a whole new set of colored pencils for a student in their last year of elementary school stings a bit when you realize that you actually had all the components of a complete set in drawers at home and you likely aren’t going need that full set next year.
Keep an Eye Out for Post-Purchase Sales — This varies from situation to situation, but many retailers might offer a price correction or retroactive discount if your item goes on sale shortly after your purchase. Hang on to your receipts and especially for larger ticket items it could be worth it to try for the retroactive discount — Every little but helps during this expensive time of year!
