How to save on back-to-school supplies
Posted
Aug 17 2008, 06:02 PM
by
Ryan MacClanathan
Rating:
The list of back-to-school "essentials" has grown
in recent years, making the end of summer a time dreaded by cash-strapped
parents.
I
priced my local elementary's list of required supplies for a first-grade
student at Staples yesterday. The total: $55 for a backpack and a small pile of
crayons, markers and glue. Ouch.
Fortunately
for the frugal minded, plenty of helpful advice is available online on how to
ease the sting of back-to-school shopping.
My
colleague Donna
Freedman wrote about her experiences stocking up on 5-cent
school supplies last month. An expert on making every penny count, Donna
was able to snag a handsome pile of supplies -- many for just pennies or even
free -- by using coupons and rebates and by keeping a keen eye out for loss
leaders.
While
Donna wasn't shopping for her own child -- she ended up donating her loot to
charity and urged her readers to do the same -- her basic strategy is one any parent can adopt: Shop around, scour the weekly ads, clip coupons and watch
your savings add up.
In
a post titled "Frugally
and happily back to school in 9 ways" David at Money Ning
has some common-sense spending advice for parents. A few of his points stand
out:
Take advantage of tax-free days. Click
here to see if any exist in your state.
Shop secondhand. If your children are obsessed with having stuff that's "new,"
well, leave the little ones at home. They'll (hopefully) never notice the difference.
Befriend your local dollar
store. The stuff's new and it's cheap, too.
Don't overspend on technology. Computers are becoming a necessity for most older
students -- just make sure you don't buy one that is too powerful. Likewise,
don't underspend on a computer that does not meet the needs of your child. A new MacBook for a third-grader is overkill, but a college-bound young
adult with an eye on a graphics-art degree might need the horsepower.
At the Green Boot Camp, recycling-minded blogger Leah Ingram managed to spend just
13 cents on supplies by scrounging through her children's bookbags and closets for unused and gently used items. She filled in the gaps with store loss leaders.
"For
starters, do not . . . head out to go back-to-school shopping
before you've had the chance to do an inventory at home," Leah writes.
"The easiest way to collect more stuff, and therefore create more trash,
is to buy and bring home items that you actually didn't need."
Leah
also reminds readers that shopping at multiple stores to find the best prices
can be counterproductive. Whatever savings you see could be eaten up
by the fuel you consume.
If
you want nontoxic and Earth-friendly supplies, the Budget Ecoist has a
roundup of green school shopping ideas. While not what I'd call budget shopping --
their first link is to a $48 recycled plastic laptop bag -- their advice
might help you keep your conscience clean as your child boards
the bus.
At
Free 2 Be Frugal, blogger Niki suggests shopping at bulk discounters such as
Costco or Sam's Club and splitting
the supplies with family or friends. Niki also points out one of the larger
expenses is your child's book bag (indeed, a sturdy one accounted for nearly
half of my $55 total at Staples). She found new JanSport bags at her local
Goodwill for $8-10.
Do
you have strategies to reduce your back-to-school bill? We'd
love to hear from you.
