It's back-to-school season once again. You may be getting ready to buy school supplies. Read the tips below to make sure that you are able to get your money's worth without sacrificing quality.
Tucson Local Media shared three back-to-school tips for parents to be able to save on expenses. Here are things that you can do to decrease your spending for school supplies.
1. Do check the items that your child used last year and identify what is usable and what needs to be replaced. With this, you will only need to buy the necessary supplies and reuse what can still be reused.
2. Do buy loads of essential food items that are easy to grab and eat. This way, you can simplify breakfast and lunch preparation and, at the same time, save money by purchasing consumables in bulk.
3. Do search your child's closet to see which clothes he or she has outgrown and which ones he or she can still wear. You can also plan out new additions to their wardrobe by shopping out-of-season since there are more clearance sales then.
According to Market Watch, there are four mistakes that parents make during back-to-school shopping that are really putting a dent on their budget. These errors actually have a heavier cost for American families.
1. Don't just shop at one place. Check the prices that retailers are offering for different supplies and go to which one is the best. It was noted that Target is the best place to shop for supplies while WalMart is good for backpacks and clothing. Amazon, on the other hand, is the best place for buying back-to-school supplies in bulk.
2. Don't ignore price drops even after purchase. Most stores still give price adjustments if the price of something you buy goes down shortly after you bought it. This is especially helpful on buying electronics such as laptops and tablets.
3. Don't buy all school supplies that the teacher listed down. Oftentimes, students don't use all the items on the list during the first few days of class.
4. Don't shop too early in the summer. CouponSherpa.com savings expert Kendal Perez noted that back-to-school shopping in July can be costly since the best savings only come in August.
