For any family with kids, the beginning of September often means dropping significant cash on must-have back to school supplies.

Here’s what you can do to stretch your school supply dollars as far as possible:

Work the Sales

Take advantage of government giveaways.

• Fifteen states and Washington, D.C. are having tax-free holidays some time this summer. If you’re in or near the border of one of them, you could save some cash off the top by shopping on these dates.
• Shop around. Many major retailers offer super-low price items to get shoppers in the door. Find out who’s slashing prices on what items and save big money by buying mainly sale items at any given store.
• Consider online shopping. Many online retailer outlets offer coupons specific to Internet purchases. Hit the Web sites of your favorite stores before heading out of the house.

Salvage, List, Budget

• Know what you already have. Many of your kids’ basics from previous years may still be good. Make it fun by designing a “scavenger hunt” for your children to see how many of their school supplies they can find at home.
• Leave with a list. As with any kind of shopping, it’s easier to stay on track if you know exactly what you need before you leave home. Cross-reference your list with sales notices for maximum efficiency.
• Set a dollar limit. Let your kids know there’s a budget  involved. That way, you can determine together what items are most important to your children – and pinch pennies where they won’t mind as much.

Get the Best Clothing You Can

• Clean closets first. Before trying anything new on, know what you have and need. You may be able to make some items into hand-me-downs or get a few dollars by selling them at a garage sale.
• Consider alternative clothing sources: Thrift stores, garage sales and even swap meets with other families could provide you with “new” clothing before you fork over money for full-priced items. Limiting your kids’ truly new items will be easier if they have some semi-new stuff as well – and don’t shy away from clearance racks!
• Wait a while: It’s not likely that your children will need winter clothes right away, so consider waiting until weather cools off before purchasing heavier clothes. This will lessen the initial financial burden on you and your credit cards.
• Get creative: If your children crave embellished garments, let them get crafty at home. Buy basics and allow them to use glitter or iron-on patches to get the trendier looks for less.

If your dollars just don’t stretch as far as they used to, then it may be time to look at serious debt relief options, including filing bankruptcy.

 Email This Post