Parents are prepared to dig deep into their wallets for back-to-school shopping. Nearly three-quarters of caregivers surveyed by U.S. News & World Report in July say their school expenses have increased this year.
For many, covering the cost will be difficult, with 43% of survey respondents saying they will have to cut back spending in other areas or they aren’t sure how they’ll afford back-to-school supplies.
“Families are much more aware of what they are spending on back-to-school and education in general,” says Brian Walsh, head of advice and planning for online personal finance company SoFi.
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to saving money on back-to-school shopping, parents can try some of these strategies to keep more money in their wallets:
1. Shop With a Plan
Before you begin shopping, inventory what you have and what you need. This may involve having your child try on clothing to see what fits, inspecting last year’s backpack for holes and gathering pens and markers to test whether they work.
Then review your child’s class supply list, if provided by the school, and fill in any gaps. As you write down what you need, decide which items are worth spending more.
Walsh suggests asking yourself, “Do I need the brand new version of this or can I use the generic version?”
For instance, brand name crayons and markers may be better quality, but for younger students who are still in the scribbling phase, cheaper items may meet their needs just as well.
2. Look for Sales
Once you have a list and plan in place, it’s time to look for retailers offering back-to-school discounts. These may include big box stores, office supply stores, and discount or dollar stores.
“Shoppers can find back to school sales all summer long,” Joanie Demer, co-founder and co-CEO of savings website The Krazy Coupon Lady, said in an email. “But there are some great back-to-school sales happening (now) at Target, Walmart, Staples and Five Below.”
Hot deals include notebooks for 35 cents and crayons for 50 cents. Websites such as The Krazy Coupon Lady compile deals and make it easy for shoppers to see what is on sale at their favorite stores.
3. Use Coupons, Savings Apps and Cash Back Options
Combine those sales with one or more of the following:
— Coupons: You can find paper coupons for school supplies in newspapers or sales circulars, and clip digital coupons using a retailer’s loyalty app. If you shop online for school supplies, check for coupon codes on sites like Rakuten and Coupons.com.
— Savings apps: Ibotta, Swagbucks and Fetch are among the savings apps that provide cash back and rebates to shoppers who upload copies of their receipts. Although these offers are typically for grocery or beauty products, there can be cash back opportunities or school supplies during the summer.
— Cash back cards: Using a cash back credit card to save on back-to-school shopping comes with a significant caveat: You must pay off the balance when you get the bill for it to make sense financially. Otherwise, the interest you pay will negate any savings. However, if you are able to do that, using a cash back card can be a way to save anywhere from 1% to 6% on your back-to-school shopping.
— Cash back websites and browser extensions: Another option for online shopping is to use a cash back service like PayPal Honey or Raise. These companies provide rebates on purchases that you can redeem for cash or gift cards.
[Best Coupon Sites, Browser Extensions and Apps]
4. Buy Gently Used Items
Just as you don’t need to buy brand name items for your children, you can often make do with gently used clothing and supplies as well.
“When you shop resale, you not only get unique pieces, but you also get to save up to 90% off retail,” Jennifer Johnson, founder of True Fashionistas, a resale business based in Naples, Florida, said in an email. “That means you can get even more for your money.”
Price and selection will vary depending on the store, and you may be surprised at what you find. Stop by thrift stores and resale shops to look for barely used notebooks, calculators and bags of pens, pencils, markers and crayons.
[Use These Expert Thrifting Tips to Find the Best Buys]
5. Organize Bulk Purchases With Other Parents
Most people have friends in the same season of life, Walsh says, and back-to-school shopping can be a great time to combine forces with other parents.
“If we get together as a group (to buy supplies), it ends up costing less money,” he says, adding that this is a strategy he has used himself.
Buying a 30-pack of glue sticks, for instance, can cut the cost per item dramatically, but a single family rarely needs that many.
However, several families could split bulk purchases for savings. Notebooks, binders, crayons and markers are among the common items available for bulk purchases online.
6. Skip the Pricey Smartphone
While some back-to-school shopping strategies will save pennies, cutting expensive tech items from your shopping list could save hundreds.
Most notably, parents of middle schoolers shouldn’t assume their child needs a smartphone, according to Karen Holland, founder of Gifting Sense, a Canadian nonprofit that provides financial literacy programs to school-age children.
“For kids going into middle school, there is less pressure about a new smartphone,” Holland says.
That’s because schools are increasingly adopting policies to prohibit cellphone use and even physically removing devices from students. Holland says she visited one school that had a carousel where students would drop off their phones each morning and retrieve them in the afternoon.
Check with your child’s school for its policy before buying a phone with the intent of connecting with your student throughout the day. If you still feel like your child needs a phone for after school, consider a basic version rather than the latest smartphone.
7. Watch for Tax-Free Weekends
If you live in a state that offers a tax-free shopping weekend, use that to make the bulk of your purchases.
“If all school supplies are tax free, be sure to stock up for the entire year,” Johnson said. “Since supplies for school are not perishable, if you have extra, you can just use them next year.”
[READ: Shopping Tricks to Keep You Under Budget]
Seventeen states offered tax-free shopping in 2024. Most states held theirs in July or early August, but a few — such as Connecticut, Maryland and Massachusetts — have tax-free shopping dates scheduled in mid-to-late August.
8. Involve Your Kids
Impulse purchases spurred by begging children can quickly balloon your back-to-school budget. Keep a lid on those extra expenses by involving your children in the process of creating a list and following the budget.
“Don’t let them in the car without a plan,” Holland says. “If you ask them to make a plan, they will.”
Back-to-school shopping can be an excellent opportunity to teach children about smart spending. Holland says some parents provide their children with a specific amount of money for supplies and clothing and have them determine how best to spend it.
9. Leave Your Kids at Home
Alternatively, leave your children at home while you’re shopping. This may be especially wise if you have small children who may not be old enough to grasp budgeting concepts. Without distractions or pleading for items not on the list, parents may be better able to compare items and ferret out the best deals.
10. Stick to Your List
Retailers often deeply discount items to get shoppers in the stores or on their websites. It can be tempting to buy items simply because they are a great deal. However, you should resist the urge, or all those deeply discounted items could add up to a significant burden on your budget.
“Stick to what you need from your child’s teacher class list,” Demer says. “Don’t think you need to get other stuff outside the list.”
More from U.S. News
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How to Save Money: 14 Expert-Backed Ways
10 Ways to Save on Back-to-School Shopping originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 08/12/24: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
