Great back-to-school shopping deals
Looking for back-to-school deals and bargains? The Money Saving Mom Crystal Paine always has great information on her blog about where to find the best deals at stores and online. Today, I'd like to share with you some advice on shopping for school supplies and back-to-school clothes.
3 Simple Ways to Save Money on Back-To-School Supplies
Don’t wait until the last minute to get your back-to-school
shopping done. Not only is it stressful to wait until the last minute to shop,
but you’ll also spend a lot more money.
Big store chains like Target and Walmart, drug stores like CVS
and Walgreens, and office supply stores like Office Depot and Staples begin
their back-to-school sales a number of weeks before school actually starts.
Start picking up the best deals each week (like the $0.01 bargains at Staples
or the free-after-rebate offers at Office Depot) and by the time when most
people begin their back-to-school shopping, you will already have most of your
shopping done -- and all for pennies on the dollar!
2.
Buy
Extras
When looking at the back-to-school sales, don’t just buy what’s
on the required list from your local school. Buy extras of things like glue,
crayons, paper, notebooks, markers, and other items you use on a regular basis
around your home.
I look forward to the back-to-school deals each year so that I
can stock up on office and craft supplies we use on a regular basis -- all at
the cheapest prices I’ll be able to get all year. My philosophy: Why pay $1 or
more for a bottle of glue in November, when you can stock up in August and only
pay $0.25 per bottle of glue?
Plus, since many teachers have to pay for some of their classroom
supplies out of pocket, consider buying extras of the great deals and donating
them to your childrens’ classroom. Or, you could purchase them for local
families who are struggling financially.
3.
Price-Match
at Walmart
Instead of going to 3-5 different stores each week to stock up on
the amazing back-to-sale bargains, you can just stop by Walmart and price-match
all of the local deals there. Just check the ads in your newspaper or online
and make a list of local prices, take these to Walmart, and tell your cashier
what local prices you’re price-matching your items to.
Walmart’s corporate coupon policy says you don’t need an ad in
order to price-match. However, I usually bring the ads with me, just in case
there’s any issue or confusion over what the price is.
3 Ways to Save Money on Back-to-School Clothes Shopping
1. Don’t Buy Brand Names -- Unless You Get
Them Off the Clearance Rack
When your children are young, they don’t know the difference
between name brand clothes purchased at a high-end boutique and Target brand
clothes purchased at a garage sale for $0.25. And they are just going to wear
out, rip, and stain their clothing, so it’s pretty pointless to spend a fortune
on their wardrobe.
My price point for clothing for my kids is $4 to $5 or less
for tops and bottoms. When I only pay a few dollars for a shirt or pair of
pants, I don’t have to cringe if they spill half a cup of spaghetti sauce down
the front of their t-shirt.
And truthfully, I’ve found that Target brands hold up pretty
similarly to more expensive brands, so it just doesn’t seem worth it to pay
quite a bit more for higher quality clothing when children are younger --
especially since they seem to constantly be growing out of their clothes!
2.
Maximize Your Savings With Online Coupon Codes and Cashback Offers
Many online sites -- such as Land’s End, The Children’s
Place, Kohl’s, and Old Navy -- often offer a sitewide coupon codes for 15% to
30% off your entire order. Some of these sites also allow you to “stack”
coupons which means you can use two coupons on one order.
So, not only can you get 20% off with a coupon code, but you
may also be able to use a coupon code to get free shipping, too. Check
RetailMeNot.com for online coupon codes available at hundreds of online retailers.
In addition, shop through Ebates.com to get cashback on your
order -- usually somewhere around 3 to 8% cashback. Just sign up for a free
account at Ebates.com, login before making an online purchase and search for
the online site you’re purchasing through, click through and make your purchase
online. Within 90 days, you’ll receive a check for all of your cashback
purchases for the last three months.
3. Check Consignment Sales, Thrift Stores,
and Garage Sales
If you have more time than money, I’d highly recommend
scouting out area consignment stores, thrift stores, consignment sales, and
garage sales. If you’re willing to dig a little, you can often find some
amazing like-new bargains at secondhand stores.
Sign up for local consignment store’s email lists to be
notified of discount days or fill-a-bag for $5 specials. If your area has a
consignment sale, you can offer to volunteer at the sale and you’ll often get
first dibs on the best deals.
Crystal Paine is a wife,
mom of three, and the owner of MoneySavingMom.com. Check MoneySavingMom.com on Saturdays for
the best back-to-school deals at Office Depot, Office Max, CVS, Walgreens, Rite
Aid, and Staples for each upcoming week.
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