School is right around the corner, and in some places it’s already started. This can be a very hectic time, and a very costly time, for many families. Luckily there are ways to avoid these extra costs and keep yourself out of trouble.

Buy Later – While it may be important for you to buy certain things before school starts, some things may not be necessary until a little bit into the school year. Instead of buying everything first, wait a couple of weeks into the semester to buy supplies. This way, your child knows exactly what they need for each class.

You’ll save yourself from buying unnecessary supplies (which often happens). Another great thing about buying a little into the school year is that certain supplies may have been marked down in price. This is because they have a surplus of supplies left over and need to get rid of them. As I said, don’t wait last minute for things that are completely necessary (backpack, pencils, etc.), but do wait for things that can be set aside.

Back to School Clothes – Check places such as Marshall’s and Ross for your child’s back to school clothes. There are many stores that offer marked down designer brands for very reasonable prices. Don’t feel like you have to spend loads of money on back to school clothes, because this just isn’t true. Also check out the back to school sales, because a lot of stores offer great mark downs right before school starts. Take your child with you to pick out clothes, because depending on their age you don’t want to buy something that they decide they would never want to wear. If they choose it, they’re more likely to wear it.

Food – Don’t be afraid to let your child eat school lunches. They’re usually balanced and nutritious, and reasonably priced. A lot of people seem to think they save money by packing their kids lunches, and in some cases they do (so try comparing prices between making lunch and buying it). It all depends on the school your child goes to, and what they like you to pack for lunch. This is more of a judgment call in most cases.

Back to school doesn’t have to break the bank, as long as you take the necessary precautions. Don’t feel that you need to spend ridiculous amounts of money on supplies, clothing, or lunches. Make a budget and stick to it, and you’ll be just fine.

Tags: back to school shopping, save on back to school expenses, school shopping

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 5th, 2009 at 6:51 pm and is filed under tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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