Back to School Shopping - Methods to Save Money3121818
The time is here again for that dreaded back to school shopping. Many of you might dread it even more this year because of job lay-offs and other financial woes due to the country's' economic decline. Money has therefore decreased in many households, but the price of school supplies remain the same, or has even increased. The Huntington annual survey of the cost of products on school suggested lists discovered that the typical cost to send a child to school this fall is roughly $474 for elementary school, $545 for middle school and a an huge $1,000 for high school. This, for some, may at first seem insurmountable but shopping for school supplies does not have to break the bank. If you need to shop for school on a budget, put a little thought and work into it and try these steps for decreasing the price of school supplies.
STEPS:
1. Start early - get your school supply list early. Make certain that it is the official school suggested list so that you will know every thing that is needed. Begin accessing what will be needed and shopping early. For clothing, do not attempt to buy all at as soon as. Have one nice new set of clothes for the first school week, but spread the rest out over a few months.
2. Make a list - List every thing that will be required for each child, such as school recommended supplies and clothing. Add the anticipated expenses to the list. Find out what your child needs versus what they want. Get what is required and if money permits, get what is wanted.
3. Make a budget - and stick to it. Do not be persuaded to add to the spending budget by crying pleas.
4. Look about the house - before going shopping look around the house for any items that may be on the list. Look for items from the prior year and from your office. All school supplies don't have to be brand new.
5. Use Coupons - collect coupon for in store as nicely as on-line shopping. By mid-August, many retailers provide large discounts, especially on shoes, clothing and electronics. Do not hesitate to ask for a discount. Use a valid K-12 or college ID at tech shops and you are most likely to get a large discount. You can save hundreds on back to school shopping this way.
6. Shop about and take benefit of sales - Check your local newspaper for sales and take benefit of them. You don't have to get every thing from one store. Price Grabber allows you to compare prices from shop to store.
7. Use Tax-Free shopping - Thirteen states have "tax-free" shopping days. Find out if your state is one of these.
eight. Personalize products - Skip the book-bags and lunch boxes with the popular cartoon characters on them. Generic versions of backpacks, book-bags and lunch boxes are a lot cheaper. Make the generic products interesting by using stickers to personalize them.
If you are looking for items that will last a long time, buy from a trustworthy company. That way, if a zipper breaks, the item will be replaced at no cost to you.
