How to get a good grade on your Back to School shopping

August 9th, 2010

I’m not sure who’s more excited about getting back to school — the kids or the parents. But it’s a spending event almost as big as the winter holiday season, so a strategy for organizing your needs can sure save a lot! By taking the time to research, make lists and prioritize, you can snag some great deals.

Start by doing your homework

The Internet should be your first stop to research merchandise, find sales, and check competitive prices. Buxr lists a huge variety of store coupons and online coupon codes, and a few minutes of surfing before shopping can save you time and money. Many online stores offer free shipping during prime back-to-school shopping if you want to avoid the mall altogether; but if you do go to the stores, consolidating your shopping in nearby stores will save time and gasoline.

1. First check what your children have and what they need. Try on last year’s clothes before going shopping to see what still fits and what should be discarded. But don’t go overboard when getting rid of clothes. Many items, especially classic pieces in good condition, can be passed down to younger siblings or swapped with neighbors. Check school supplies from last year, too, including the condition of their backpack or lunch bag.
   
   
2. Set a reasonable budget and stick to it. Let the kids participate and teach them financial skills at the same time, so they understand how much things cost and appreciate what you can afford. Track how much you’re spending, and save all the receipts in case you need to make returns.
   
   
3. Shop from a list to stay within your budget. Stores will try to lure you in with their promotions in the hopes that you’ll buy everything there, discounted or not. Be sure to stick to the bargain items — if something is not on your list, don’t buy it. Some local discount and office supply stores now feature checklist kiosks for nearby schools; school web sites are another good source for supply lists; or use this basic list or supply list as a guide.
   
   
4. Keep an eye out for weekly sales and deals advertised in the newspaper and online; department stores generally offer an extra 15%-20% off clearance items. Back-to-school loss leaders (products offered at prices below their actual cost to entice you into the store) are already popping up. With 1-cent sales from the office supply stores, you can pick up lined notebook paper, pencils, crayons and report folders, saving the budget for big-ticket items. Every week you’ll see a new set of office supplies on sale for a ridiculously low price. Be disciplined enough to take advantage of only the advertised low-cost items each week. Many of the big office supply stores also offer items that are free after rebate this time of year, like calculators and printer paper. If the rebates are store gift cards or prepaid visa gift cards, you can use those to purchase other items and stretch your budget.
   
   
5. Organize your coupons and codes to combine as many as possible for maximum savings. Also, when you purchase products at drug stores like CVS and Walgreens, you receive ExtraCare Bucks (ECBs) or Register Rewards (RRs) for savings on a future trip to the store. You can spend these the following week on items that will earn even more ECBs and/or RRs, so you can use them to pay for most of your school supplies.
   
   
6. Shop off the beaten path. Just about every retailer wants part of the back-to-school action, and school supplies pop up in unusual places like crafts stores, dollar stores, and supermarkets. So you can get substantial savings on scissors, glue, erasers, rulers, crayons, reusable binders, notebook paper, or index cards. Many of those items are the same familiar name brands as carried by the office supply stores, and you can still use manufacturers’ coupons.
   
   
7. Shop with discounters or off-price retailers. Many of them stock great brands and fashionable merchandise, and they’re perfect for staples like t-shirts and jeans. Old Navy, Gap Kids, and The Children’s Place rotate merchandise often and offer lots of deals. And, if you see an item on sale there within 14 days after you bought it, you can get the difference refunded by showing them the receipt. Here’s a list of other low price guarantee policies.
   
   
8. Delay some of your purchases until after school starts. While there are lots of great back to school sales before school starts, you will often see even deeper discounts to clear out overstocked inventory a few weeks later. Your child may also change their mind about what they need after seeing new trends at school.

Go shopping!

1. Buy versatile articles of clothing that work well with each other, to multiply the number of potential “outfits” available. You can save the most when you shop for off-season, clearance items. Since backpack straps or zippers can break, a backpack with a warranty might be a good investment, even if it costs more.
   
   
2. Shop when stores are least crowded — early morning, after supper or on a weekday, and especially look for bargains on Thursday nights. Since many department store sales run from Thursday thru Sunday, Thursday night shopping could yield big savings and plenty of options. By Sunday night all that remains are leftovers, because the popular sizes and styles are the first to go.
   
   
3. Watch the Sunday paper and online for store sales and coupons. If you get several coupons that can’t be combined (like a flat percentage off your total bill, and another offering $15 off $75 worth of merchandise), split your transactions to use both coupons and get maximum savings.
   
   
4. Check return policies before buying, and keep all your receipts together in an envelope.

Extra Savings

1. If you shop online for clothes and supplies, don’t forget to use rewards programs. Many of them offer bonuses during back to school shopping, like double cash back.
   
   
2. College students can sign up for a year of free Amazon Prime to get free unlimited 2-day shipping on school supplies. Remember that when you shop online at stores with retail locations, you can often have the items shipped to the store nearest you to save shipping costs.
   
   
3. Take advantage of credit card rewards by shopping for school supplies at drugstores and grocery stores, where some credit cards pay a higher cash back. Or sign up for new cards that offer bonuses to kick off the school season.
   
   
4. Local health departments in some areas offer free basic school supplies to parents who bring their children in for immunizations.
   
   
5. Hang on to flyers and ads that advertise supplies at a particular price. If the store where you’re shopping charges more, ask the sales clerks to match the competitor. Some stores that don’t offer price matching will still do it.

Use your Back to School Dollars and Sense to snag extra savings on top of already marked-down merchandise and promotions. If you’re able to stick to a budget and still make the kids happy, you’ll make the grade and score an A+!

Entry Filed under: Shopping