photo credit: ladybugbkt via photopin cc
I know we’ve focused on back-to-school ideas a lot lately but it is a big expense for those who have children, and even if you don’t, chances are you have a friend or family member who does, so hopefully you can use this information. And after reading this, if you have any money-saving ideas you’d like to share, we’d love to hear them!
Try on everything you already have
One of the suggestions on back-to-school clothing and taking inventory before buying is something I did EVERY year before school started with my son. I would literally make him try on everything in his closet and dresser (unless it was obviously raggy and only fit to play in) to see if it still fit, if he would actually wear it, and to see if anything needed minor repairs. Then I would make a list of what was needed. I also always shopped out of season for him so that I got great clothing but at sometimes 80 to 90% off and we saved it for the following year.
Save & re-use school supplies
For about the first five years I bought every item on his school supply list, plus more, in case he ran out and I wanted the savings they offer before school starts. And you know what? After five years of buying and him not using everything, I stopped buying automatically and we checked what we had on hand first. Literally, we had unopened boxes of markers and crayons (in fact, we ended up donating them because we had so many and he wasn’t going to be using a lot of them in junior high or high school!) We had stacks of notebook paper that to this day, after he’s been out of school for many years, I’m still using!
*No, I wasn’t on “Hoarders”…..but we stored items in the office, the hall closet, the kitchen and what I later found out, under my son’s bed, piled in his closet and even stuffed in his dresser drawers….don’t ask what other things I found, but if you have children of a certain age, you know dishes can disappear in those very places! And a lot of times he would come home, tell me he needed something and I’d buy it, forgetting we already had two or three …if I had just looked first!
Don’t skimp on the backpacks!
The one thing I didn’t try to buy at a dollar store, or a lesser version of was his backpacks. If I opted for the cheaper, less well made ones, I ended up spending more money because they did have to be replaced. Those kids have to carry a lot and you also want something that won’t end up hurting their back because you were trying to save a little bit of money.
Going “green” for school-lunch
One of the money-saving ideas the article discusses is using real silverware, containers and linen napkins instead of plastic, baggies, and paper…saving you money and being green. If you think that’s a good idea and something you want to try, I would suggest not sending anything that’s a “set” or that is expensive because chances are, something will get thrown away or lost. A good place to pick these items up would be thrift stores, garage sales, dollar stores or by sending odds and ends that you don’t care about.
Share YOUR wisdom!
If you have any tips on how you shop and save for your kids, we’d love for you to share…seems like every time someone sends a tip or suggestion, it triggers even more ideas!