Back to School Shopping - Methods to Save Money5788527
The time is right here again for that dreaded back to school shopping. Many of you may 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 cost of school supplies remain the exact same, or has even elevated. The Huntington annual survey of the price of items on school recommended lists found that the typical price to send a child to school this fall is approximately $474 for elementary school, $545 for middle school and a an huge $1,000 for high school. This, for some, might 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 spending budget, put a little believed and effort into it and try these steps for reducing the cost 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 everything that is required. Begin accessing what will be required and shopping early. For clothing, don't try to buy all at once. Have one nice new set of clothing for the first school week, but spread the rest out over a few months.
2. Make a list - List every thing that will be needed for every child, such as school suggested supplies and clothing. Add the anticipated costs 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 spending budget - and stick to it. Don't be persuaded to add to the spending budget by crying pleas.
4. Look around the house - before going shopping look around the house for any products that might be on the list. Look for products from the prior year and from your workplace. All school supplies don't have to be brand new.
5. Use Coupons - collect coupon for in shop as well as on-line shopping. By mid-August, many retailers provide large discounts, particularly 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 likely to get a large discount. You can save hundreds on back to school shopping this way.
6. Shop about and take advantage of sales - Verify your local newspaper for sales and take benefit of them. You do not have to get everything from one store. Cost Grabber enables you to evaluate prices from store to store.
7. Use Tax-Free shopping - Thirteen states have "tax-free" shopping days. Find out if your state is one of these.
8. Personalize products - Skip the book-bags and lunch boxes with the well-liked cartoon characters on them. Generic versions of backpacks, book-bags and lunch boxes are a lot cheaper. Make the generic products fascinating 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 price to you.
