How Do You Save on Back-to-School Supplies?

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How Do You Save on Back-to-School Supplies?

Submitted by: Tip Hero 07/29/2009 7:41 PM

It's that time of year again, and the back-to-school sale signs are starting to spring up. So how do you avoid the hype and find the best back-to-school deals? How do you cut costs and avoid spending a bundle on school supplies?

Share your money-saving tips and strategies with the Tip Hero community by posting a comment below. And thanks for being a Tip Hero!

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Comments:

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I buy ahead at yard sales and clearance sales when it comes to kids clothes. I stock pile sizes that they will grow into. New school clothes were bought awhile ago.

Posted by anonymous on July 30, 2009 1:03 AM

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What a great question! There are currently a couple of manufacturers coupons on coupons.com for Bic stationery.

I also run a Frugal Living blog and am a part of a Back to School Blog Tour, we share the best of the best weekly Back to School deals at the major retailers such as Target, Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, etc. This is the best time of year to stock up on school supplies for pennies on the dollar of retail price.

Posted by Julia @ The Frugal Find on July 30, 2009 12:52 PM

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When I start shopping, I get just enough to get us thru basically a semester. Then I go back and hit all the clearance areas and stock pile that.

We always go to tractor shows and The Farm Machinery Show in louisville and they have tons of free handouts on pens, pencils and so forth. The boys always liked the tractor designed pens and pencils the best.

I keep everything in a sturdy packing "school box" in the office and supplies are always available.

MIND SAVER: purchase a few sheets of poster board while your shopping. Stick it behind a cabinet, dresser to where it won't get damaged (be sure and tell another that it's there). They always hit you about 10pm with the poster board need for the next day.

Posted by NellieMom on July 30, 2009 2:16 PM

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I hit yard sales, rummage sales, and thrift stores for back to school clothes. If there's an incredible deal on ebay or at a major retailer then I'll buy just from the awesome sale section.

For school supplies I take a slightly different approach. I confiscate all the supplies they bring home from the end of the year. The supplies in good shape get put away. Glue, markers, scissors, unused erasers, pencil sharpeners, etc are some of the supplies I reuse. There's usually several bottles of half used white glue so I just combine bottles. To keep our supplies stocked, I shop the killer sales at office supply stores and other major retailers plus pick up things at yard sales.

The key to saving money on Back to School supplies...don't wait until back to school to start shopping! Also know where and when tax free dates are occurring. Many states offer tax free dates around back to school season to help parents out with the costs of sending kiddos to school. Google your state and "tax free shopping" to find detailed information in your area.

Posted by Jenn @ the Frugal Front Porch on July 30, 2009 3:21 PM

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I always stock up on the basics like pencils, crayons, glue sticks, paper whenever I see them in the clearance bins. Walmart has great markdowns in the late fall when they are trying to clear the shelves for incoming holiday items. Also, I've found grocery stores like Kroger and drug stores like CVS and Walgreens will mark down their school items to 75% off.

Posted by bestmommy on July 30, 2009 4:55 PM

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I wait until the back to school rush is over and then stock up on things I know will be used next year (#2 pencils, filler paper, composition notebooks, glue). If I have some coupons, quite a few of those items end up being free or almost free. Last year's supplies that look new get sent to school again. Supplies that are still usable, but look worn stay at home for homework, projects, etc. Dollar store with some good coupons, and the back to school time is not so scary! :)

Posted by anonymous on July 31, 2009 9:24 PM

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While you are at church or any gathering you routinely go to, announce or post in the bulletin that you would like to have a box placed for donations of any school supplies anyone has lying around. Designate a date at which all the school supplies collected will be distributed to anyone who has made it known that they would like to have their name as a receiver of the supplies. While I was a school nurse, I organized a clothing drive in early August. I advertised in the local newspaper for donations. My principal and school board allowed this drive to be held at the school gym and I had volunteers collect the clothing from people at their houses if they could not drop them off at the local Girl Scout house. We had two days in August where we had girl scouts help kids who came in try clothing on and had a fashion show. All clothing was ten cents. All donation proceeds went to our local Operation Santa which is a group who goes out and buys Christmas gifts for the families who are unable to purchase gifts for their kids for Christmas. Yes, it was a lot of work by myself; however, if you have a group of people willing to work together during this terrible economic crisis, it makes light work for many. Recycle, reuse, and save money for all!

Posted by Lisa in Naples, NY on July 31, 2009 9:56 PM

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LISA,
Nice. We need more people like you.

Posted by anonymous on August 01, 2009 2:14 AM

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All the above listed are great tips. I actually use a combination of most of them.

Back to school clothing shopping begins in July for tops, shorts (which can be worn for the first couple of months of school) - We have regular conversations with our kids regarding the costliness of many of their 'must have' items for back to school. This year they are old enough to decide for themselves - do they want 1 or 2 new items from the expensive department stores, or are they better off to shop around (tag sales, consignment stores, craigslist) for gently used items. When they feel like it's their money being spent - they tend to be much more thoughtful about what and how much is being purchased. Of course, shoes and undergarments are purchased new - Discount stores for the socks and undies, and then we have money left over to purchase good, quality shoes - very important for still developing feet!

I stock up on school supplies over the summer - the office supply stores and discount stores always have great summertime sales - I try to purchase enough of the frequently used items to make it through the school year. Whatever is left over at the end gets donated to the back to school drives in our area.

Posted by anonymous on August 02, 2009 1:27 PM

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I sign up online for the freebies from several companies, they go into a supply box and are readily at hand when they are needed for supplies. Another great source is fairs, conventions and events, they give out pens, pencils, highlighters, calculators and more, these all add up when you are buying for a houseful of kids. Another great way to shop is the end caps of stores, they put their clearance items out there and they are normally great bargains all year long.

Posted by Daura on August 03, 2009 10:27 PM

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