Just as you’re settling into the laid-back summer routine, retailers start rolling out their back-to-school displays, which may open that pit of dread in your stomach. Supply lists. New clothing. Backpacks, jeans, laptops and school shoes: It’s endless. And it’s so expensive!
In fact, according to the National Retail Federation, the average American parent will spend upward of $700 per child this shopping season.
If that’s enough to put a damper on your summer plans, take a deep breath and relax. You don’t need to spend yourself in debt just because everyone else seems to be doing it. Instead, take a proactive, mindful approach when shopping for the new school year and spend hundreds less than the national average. Grad your Visa Classic Credit Card and let USALLIANCE Financial show you how!
Here are 10 creative ways to save on back-to-school shopping costs.
Why pay full price when you can get it for less? Use coupon sites like RetailMeNot.com, CouponCabin.com, and Coupons.com for percentage-off or money-off coupons that will help you save big.
Before hitting the big-box stores and their big-box prices, scour your local dollar store for school supply treasures that will only cost a buck.
Don’t spend a fortune on your child’s bookbag without checking out these sites. If your child is set on having a character backpack this year, check out Hollar.com for a great selection at crazy-low prices. Does your little one have designer taste? Try eBags.com or 6PM.com for brand-name bags at a fraction of their regular price.
Weekly sales on school supplies will go live at the beginning of the week – and the hottest items will be grabbed up first. Shop early in the week to score the best deals.
Many stores you may be visiting this season offer in-store price matching or will even match/beat a competitor’s lower price.
Read through this list so you know when to ask for a better price:
Staples will match a lower price on an identical item and throw in an additional 10 percent discount.
Kohl’s will offer you the same price as a competitor as long as you bring in the competition’s ad.
JCPenney will give you back 5 percent of your purchase price if you find an identical item with a lower price elsewhere.
Don’t start your shopping until you check out Raise.com or GiftCardGranny.com for gift cards that give you more monetary value than you paid for them. It’s a super-easy way to save!
If you’ve got a bunch of friends who are also slogging through an endless list of school supplies, see if you can work together to save more. You can divide and conquer, letting each friend shop a different store for their best offerings and picking up enough supplies for the entire group, or even offer to swap supplies you already have at home. This way, you’ll be making fewer trips and keeping more money in your wallet.
Your smartphone is going to be your BFF this season. Use it to follow your favorite stores on Facebook and Twitter and you’ll be gifted with notices about sale events, plus coupon links to help you save more.
When shopping for big-ticket items, like laptops, don’t buy until you’ve done a thorough comparison shop. You can use an app or a website like ShopSavvy, Price.com, or PriceGrabber to help you compare prices with just a quick barcode scan.
For the best budget mileage, learn the markdown cycle of your favorite stores, especially clothing shops. For example, Target offers discounts on children’s clothing every Monday, TJ Maxx posts new markdowns on Wednesdays, and you’ll want to hit Kohl’s between 3 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday to take advantage of their “Power Hour” super-deals.
Consider adding a MyLife Savings for Kids account to your Back-to-School shopping list. Where you can save for your children in an account that earns dividends and other perks such as $10 Birthday Bucks every year - on us!
Happy Shopping!