Back to School Shopping Tips to Save Money

The back-to-school season is a busy time of year for parents of school-aged children and college students. There is always a lot to do – and a lot to buy – in order to get ready for the upcoming school year. The costs associated with getting ready for school can quickly add up. In order to save as much money as possible, it is a good idea to seek out back-to-school shopping tips that will help you keep costs down.

Save on School Supplies
Supplies can be one of the most expensive parts of getting ready to go back to school. If you can find ways to save on school supply costs you can drastically reduce the amount of money you spend to get ready for a new school year. Two ways to save on school supplies include purchasing a prepackaged school supply kit and/or going through leftover supplies from last semester.

Prepackaged School Supply Kit
There are a number of companies out there that sell prepackaged school supply kits. These kits are customized based on the supply list for your district. In many cases, the cost of a school supply kit is lower than purchasing each item individually. This is because the company that creates the kit gets access to bulk and wholesale pricing. Also, buying a prepackaged kit saves you from making impulse and unnecessary purchases by keeping you out of the store.

Go Through Leftover Supplies
Kids often come home with bags full of unused supplies at the end of the school year. There may even be packages of supplies that are unopened and unused. Take an inventory of what you already have to avoid purchasing things you do not need.

Sell Your Old Clothes for Cash
You may be tired of the clothes that are currently in your closet, but there is likely someone else out there who would pay money for your gently used clothes. If you have school-aged kids, they may have barely worn items that no longer fit. You can get cash to purchase clothes for the upcoming school year by selling your old items. You can sell the items online through a platform like Facebook marketplace, have a garage sale, or take them to a resale shop that pays cash for clothes.

Rent Your Textbooks
If you are taking college courses, one of the most expensive items on your back-to-school shopping list is textbooks. Instead of shelling out hundreds of dollars per book, consider renting your textbooks instead. There are several programs that offer textbook rental options that can save you money at the beginning of the semester.

The back-to-school shopping tips outlined above can help you save money as the school year starts back up. Use these tips as inspiration to find other ways to save some cash and make the most of your back-to-school budget. If you find that you are still short on cash – even after finding ways to save on back-to-school shopping – reach out to Tio Rico for loan options to help you bridge the gap.