Top ways to save this back to school shopping season

7/17/2019

It may seem that money doesn't stretch as far as it used to. While we often look for ways to cut back spending, there are some expenses you just cannot avoid. Buying back to school items could not come at a worse time; just after school holidays where you spent a substantial amount on vacation, daycare, and entertainment for your children throughout the summer. Back to school items may cost hundreds of dollars, however, here are a few tips to help you and your family save to avoid breaking the budget.

Make A Comprehensive List Of Items

There is no point in spending for spending sake, so to keep the costs down you might want to sit down and make a comprehensive list of the back to school items you really need to purchase. Start shopping earlier than last year and begin with the items that are the most essential; clothing, books, etc. and down to the smaller items. By starting early, you can split the shopping over multiple paychecks until you get what you need.

"In Fashion" Means Paying More

Depending on your children, they may insist in having the latest designer names for shoes, backpacks and such. You may be surprised at how much you might save by purchasing the stores own brand or a lesser known brand. Talk with your child about the value of money and try to explain the quality of items are more important than the brand names. If you simply have to get your child well-known designer names, check on eBay for good quality used items to save cash. If your child is old enough, you can let them in on the decision-making process. Explain the budget they have available for their clothes and let them help decide what is important within the limits of the budget.

Keep An Eye On Your Spending

If money is tight you may be worried about overspending during a shopping trip for back to school items. The Sunbelt Money Manager App can be installed on your smartphone and you can use this to check your balance to find out how much you can spend. This tool helps keep track of not only your Sunbelt account, but can link to virtually any bank!

Make Use Of Coupons In Store And Online

Well before you want to go shopping for back to school items, you might want to scour the newspapers looking for coupons. If you are shopping online for accessories for school, you might be able to find promo codes to use at the online checkout. Check your favorite retailer's Twitter or social media accounts for special online or in-store promotions. If you are a MyLife Checking account holder, access your MyLife Rewards for local and online savings!

Buy Stationery From Dollar Stores

One of the best ways to save money on stationery for school, such as pens, pencils, calculators, and notebooks is to buy them from the dollar stores. It can be surprising how much you might save, more so over the course of the year, if you have to keep renewing these items.

Does Your State Offer Tax-Free Days?

The state of Mississippi offers a tax-free day that is geared towards back to school shopping needs. Read more about the special at this link.