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Hi! It's Me Again With Some Great Tips On Saving Money On Back-To-School Shopping.

I know summer break just started, and we're busy enjoying all that summer has to offer.  The last thing we want to think about is back-to-school shopping...I totally get it and I can relate! But the truth is, as much as we don't want to think about it, it'll be back-to-school before we know it. 

So let's start planning, get the school supply list out, and be on the lookout for all the amazing back-to-school deals out there right now!



Shopping can definitely get expensive and stressful, so the sooner you start, the better the experience will be in my opinion.  The checklist is long with many items per child...it can be intimidating, to say the least, but the good news is, it can be done effortlessly with proper planning and shopping smart. 


On today's blog post I'll share 5 tips to save money on back-to-school shopping, so stick around and let's dive in!


Start Back-To-School Shopping Now

I read that the best time to start back-to-school shopping is mid-to-late-summer, but I bet to differ, I say the best time is NOW!  I've found that the stores get super busy when I've waited into the mid-to-late summer. Everyone is in the stores with their kids trying to do the same thing,  the stores are noisy and for me, it makes it harder for me to concentrate on getting the best deals. So I prefer to shop now to avoid traffic.


It's also to your advantage to start shopping now because you'll have enough time to shop around comparing back-to-school sales/deals before settling. Price comparisons can be done online (amazon.com/ca, walmart.com/ca) or with the weekly flyers to see items on your supply list that are on a reduced price,  so you can price match and buy them as needed.

Have a Budget For Each Child

It's important to have a back-to-school shopping budget for each child and explain it to them beforehand. It helps stay on plan, get the kids on board and helps avoid buying random things.  I tell my kids how much they're each getting and when we run out, that's it!

I make the budget and they get to choose between buying an expensive pair of jeans or buying a couple of inexpensive ones to stretch their budget. The decision is left to them with subtle hints, but once the money is gone, we're done!


Don't Be Afraid To Reuse Old School Items

We live in a culture where we're made to believe our kids need everything new for back to school.  That's just not true or right because it puts unnecessary pressure on parents, and gives the kids a perception that is so unrealistic. 



Just because it's on the back-to-school checklist, it doesn't mean you have to buy it all new. I reuse and purchase preloved items and clothes as needed...there's no shame in that.   Don't fall for all the back-to-school marketing strategies and trends; why replace something if it's still in good condition?

Do what's best for your family and budget,  my kids didn't like this at first, but they got the message pretty quickly, once they understood I mean what I say and no amount of whining and tantrums will change my mind.


So at the end of the school year, I go through all their old supplies with them and salvage anything that can still be used for the upcoming school year. Anything from clothes, binders, duo tangs, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, and the list goes on.  

My kids have been using the same backpacks for three years! They will get new ones this year that will last them just as long or even longer. Yes, they've come home from the first day of school, complaining "mom everyone got new backpacks and they're asking me why I'm still using the old one again?"  My answer to them,  "tell them, we're all different and it's your backpack and you can use it for as long as you want." Plain and simple.

It's OK To Say NO To Your Kids

I don't know about you, but my kids want the coolest things for school supplies, thanks to YouTube. They get so obsessed with watching back to school videos and that gets them all excited (which is good) but then gets them all hung up on unrealistic expectations about school supplies.


For some years now, my kids have been asking me for decorated backpacks, binders, and locked pencil cases. These items cost way more than the regular ones and I really don't see the point. At the end of the day, the decorated ones and the none decorated ones do the same things, so why spend double the amount just for cuteness sake?  

Knowing my kids, whether I buy locked pencil cases or not, they will still, end up losing most of their supplies because they'll definitely forget to lock it up, so it's a big NO for now.


Unfortunately, such expectations can make shopping a nightmare and as much as it can be fun shopping and bonding with your kids, it's sometimes best to just leave them home. But if you really have to take them shopping (like I have to) then just say no to some of the fancy things they want to make the process less stressful. 

Generally, my kids are quite understanding once I explain my reasons to them and I also use it as a teachable moment to teach them about money management and living within their means.

Shop End Of The Year Sales/Clearance

After the hustle and bustle of back-to-school shopping is over, and schools start, stores such as Wal-Mart, Staples and many others mark down the rest of their school supplies and clothes to clear. They mark them down so inexpensively to clear quickly, so they can stock up for the next big thing, Halloween!

I have gotten so many back-to-school bargains for mere cents, I then put them in my school supplies stash and before I go shopping, each year, I pull from my stash and only buy what I don't already have. Which in the end really helps keep back-to-school shopping budget to a minimum.


I know and understand that back-to-school shopping can be daunting, expensive and a bit of a nightmare which is probably why most people put it off for as long as possible.  It's something we can't avoid as parents even if we wanted to, so instead of putting it off until last the minute, start now!

Putting a budget, a plan in place together with these simple but effective back-to-school shopping ideas will help the process be a lot easier, fun, inexpensive and effortless and everyone will be happy at the end!


Do you enjoy back-to-school shopping and do you have any back-to-school shopping tips to share? Let me know!

MEDAASE (thank you) and until next time S.M.I.L.E, because life is too short to stress over things you can easily change!

S - See
M - Miracles
I - In
L - Life
E - Everyday

XX
EMELIA

ESSENTIAL BACK-TO-SCHOOL SUPPLIES ON SALE. 

  • These were the prices at the time I published this blog post.
  • Prices may go up or down without my knowledge.

BIC Pens for $12.97, from $18.72
Hilroy Exercise Books $1.89/one
Backpack for $35.89, from $79.06
Bentgo Lunch Box for $36.99, from $53.59





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