12 Things to Keep in Mind for Back to School Shopping

In some areas of the country, the first day of school is only a month away so it’s time to talk about back to school shopping. It’s possible to get the kids ready for school without breaking the bank, but it takes a bit of planning and restraint.

Here are some points to keep in mind before you start shopping.

1. Don’t buy too much before you get the list. Some school districts are frustratingly slow about putting out the supplies list, but don’t jump the gun and buy lots of things you might need unless you don’t mind standing in line to return the unneeded items or enjoy making several trips. Go ahead and stock up on staples like pencils, notebook paper and pens but don’t buy folders, notebooks or other things until you know if you need 3 orange folders with pockets and fasteners, 4 fuchsia notebooks and a size of 3 ring binder that doesn’t appear to exist at any store in the tri-state area.

2. Go by the list but don’t kill yourself. If you can’t find what you need after looking at several stores, wait and ask the teacher on the first day of school. She could either tell you where to get it or it might turn out that it’s not necessary at all and you can make an easy substitution.

3. That said, if they ask for a name brand, it’s for a reason. Teachers don’t get kickbacks from Crayola® and Fiskars®. If they ask for the name brand, it’s because the off brands simply don’t work well and are frustrating for the students. Even though the super deals are usually on the store or off brands, you can still find good deals on name brand supplies if you pay close attention to the sales.

4. If money is really tight, know that a lot of the supplies on the list are used by the class in common. Talk to the teacher and see what supplies your student will need for their individual use right away and which you can gradually contribute to the pool over the next few weeks and months. Don’t be embarrassed, teachers are people just like us and understand that money can be tight.

5. Don’t go overboard buying new clothes. See what fits from last year, first. And think about how many changes of clothing your student really needs. If your school has a uniform, many people can get by with 2-3 changes per season, depending on how messy they are and how often you can do laundry.

If you don’t have a uniform, remember that kids don’t need to have enough clothes to wear a different outfit per day for months on end. Even if you can get clothes for dirt cheap, do you really want to deal with that much clutter in your child’s room?

6. You don’t have to buy the entire season’s clothing before the school year starts. Buying gradually as the year goes on is less stressful, lets you spread out the cost and allows you take advantage of sales and clearance.

7. Before you shop for clothes, be sure to read a copy of the dress code and make sure you know what kinds of clothes and shoes are forbidden. For example, some schools require uniform polo shirts to be free of logos and some allow cargo pants to be worn while others do not. It’s not just obviously inappropriate attire that’s regulated so read the dress code.

8. Involve your child in the shopping process as much as possible. If you have time to take them early in the morning before the store is crowded, you can let them add up and see how much more it costs to buy all fancy supplies with character logos than it would to buy plain versions. Or, how many shirts they can get if they choose pricey designers versus no name. You can show them what to look for in quality, how stores market, how to calculate percentages… the learning opportunities are endless.

At the same time, know that they are children and don’t be frustrated if they still want the Spongebob backpack. There is nothing wrong with indulging them just a bit if you can afford it; pick your battles wisely. Sometimes a little thing like  having one item that they think is completely awesome can help them get over the anxiety of a new year in a new classroom.

9.  If you have favorite stores or manufacturers, sign up for their mailing list, fan them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter to find out when the sales are and to get discount codes and coupons. Just be mindful that there is a time to stop shopping. Saving 30% off something you don’t need is spending 70% that you could have saved.

10. Find out if your state has designated sales tax free days for back to school shopping. In my area, sales tax is over 9%, so the savings is significant. Many stores will hold sales on those days, too to get you in the door. Again, go with a list and a budget and don’t be tempted to buy more than you need just because it is on sale. There will be more sales and more tax free days.

11. If you have gently used clothing from last year, you can consider selling it to raise money to buy this year’s clothing and supplies. Name brands do particularly well for resale. If you have consignment shops in your area, you might be able to get store credit and outfit your child for virtually nothing out of pocket.

12. If you can afford it, consider donating to your school or other agencies helping low income students get prepared for back to school. Making sure all of our nation’s children have a good education benefits us all. You can do anything from donating gently used uniforms to giving your child’s teacher extra supplies for the classroom to giving cash or gift cards for them to purchase extras like educational games or books. Think of it as an investment in the future.

What are your tips and tricks for back to school shopping?

Tracy O’Connor is the mother of 5 boys and a ghostwriter who also writes a personal humor blog.

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