Ways to Save on Back To School Supplies

Back to school supplies can be expensive especially if you are buying for more than one child. Find 6 ways that can help you save money this school year.

So,you had an amazing summer and now it's time to start thinking about a new school year. Back to school supplies can be expensive but a few simple tricks can help you save.

Save on Back To School Supplies:

1.Before you spend a dime, go through all of last year's supplies. You will usually find that certain things from last school year like scissors, staplers and rulers can be used again this year. Remember to put away any extra or leftover school supplies each year so that you can reuse it.

2. Use coupons and follow sales ads before purchasing. Knowing what prices are the best will help you when it comes time to buy the back to school supplies. If you match the coupons with the stores' sales you will maximize your savings. You may think a store has certain items on sale, but in reality they are not even giving a discount compared to other stores.

3. Make your first stop at the dollar store. Your local dollar store will have all the basics that you need for a great price. This is where I get notebooks, loose leaf paper, pens, pencils, crayons, markers, glue sticks, paper clips, thumb tacks, and I could just go on for hours! The dollar store is one of the best ways to save money on school supplies.

4.While you are shopping, avoid the urge to spend money on unnecessary items. A two pocket folder that is decorated with a popular cartoon character or pop singer can easily cost 4 times the amount of the same folder in a plain, solid color. If you really want to splurge allow your child to choose 1 special item that they want. Remember to stick to what they need and not just what they want.

5. Certain stores such as Staples and Office Depot have special back to school sales where basic school supplies are really inexpensive for 1 day only. You can get notebooks and packs of pens and pencils for 10 cents each and folders for 5 cents each. The trick here is to only buy those items included in the sale. Don't be tempted to spend more on other items or you can easily end up going over your budget instead of saving money.

6. As parents, sometimes we look at certain school supplies and say "wow, that's really cool, they didn't make that when I was a kid!" You will be tempted to be the cool mom or dad and get your kids the newest gadgets and accessories. This is a money trap! Stick to your school supply list. If the teacher didn't specify a voice activated digital recorder for your child to take notes with, then a good old notebook and pencil is all they need. Don't buy something that you really want, but they don't need!

Back to school supplies can be a big expense, especially if you have more than one child in school. If you follow these tips you can make the costs more manageable and less of a burden.

Also, check out our Back To School Checklist to start planning now. Do you have any tips for saving money on back to school items, please share in the comments below!