The Back-to-School Shopping List: Create a Budget and Find the Best Deals

When kids go back to school, so does the stress for parents. We know that school supplies, new clothes, and even a laptop can be prohibitively expensive for many families. But what about those unexpected expenses? The ones that sneak up on you as you’re finalizing your child’s packed lunches and double-checking that their backpack is clean and stain-free: New shoes! A haircut! An unexpectedly advanced math class with a textbook that costs $200! Fortunately, savvy shoppers have plenty of tricks up their sleeves to save money on back-to-school essentials. With a little bit of planning and preparation beforehand, you can get all your children’s school supplies in one trip (and maybe even some new threads if you time it right). You might even have enough left over to get them something cool like a computer or game console they’ve been wanting forever but couldn’t afford before. Here are some tips on how to make this back-to-school season less stressful — and more fun — for everyone involved.

Make a Back-to-School Shopping List

The first thing you need to do is make a list of everything your child needs to get through the year. This includes books, laptops, binders, pens, pencils, backpacks, notebooks, watches, eyeglasses and anything else your child needs to have access to be successful in school. Make a separate list for everything your child needs for extracurricular activities too, like sports uniforms, tennis racquets, or science lab supplies. Double-check that you’ve included everything, and add any items you missed to your list. You can add a reminder to your child’s calendar or put a note somewhere they will see it so they don’t forget anything either. While you’re at it, make sure to add a reminder for yourself to do your back-to-school shopping.

Create a Budget and Set Priorities

Before you hit the store, make a budget and set your priorities. Some things, like new clothes and shoes, are unavoidable. Others, like an upgraded computer or laptop, can be deferred until later in the year if there isn’t enough money available right now. Before you start buying things, make a list of the things that are absolutely necessary and the things that you would like to have but can live without. If something isn’t on either list, put it back on the shelf. While you’re at it, set up a special account for back-to-school expenses. This way, your kids will know exactly where their money is coming from, and you won’t have to worry about overspending and going into debt. If you don’t have the money in your account to pay for everything at once, don’t try to buy everything at once. Doing so will increase the chance that you’ll go over budget, which will only add additional stress to an already stressful time.

Find Out What’s On Sale

Now that you know what you need, find out when things go on sale and what stores have the best deals. Many online stores including Amazon, will send you special coupons or notifications about sales and deals for your area. If you’re shopping in person, check out the local newspaper or sign up for the store’s email list to get notifications. Look at the ads (or the newspaper) for things that are likely to go on sale. Some things are always on sale, like pencils and notebooks, but others will only be discounted when the store wants to make room for new items. Keep an eye on the clearance racks too, because sometimes items get stuck there for a long time. You don’t want to pay full price for something when it’s marked down.

Shop in-store and online

You can save money on back to school supplies by shopping both in-store and online. Many stores offer free shipping on online orders, but you can also find items that are cheaper online than they are in stores. My Gift Stop is one of the online stores that offers the best prices on

watches, bags, eyeglasses, apparel, beauty, shoes, pens, and more with fast shipping and top-rated customer reviews.

Be aware of shipping costs, though, if you choose to shop online: Some stores offer free shipping on orders of a certain dollar amount, but others charge a flat fee. Some stores offer a price match guarantee. This means that if you find an item cheaper somewhere else, they’ll match the price and give you a refund for the difference. You can also shop at multiple stores and compare prices to see which one has the best deal. Just make sure you don’t buy everything from one store or website: This can be a sign of shopping addiction and can lead to overspending and impulse purchases.

Hit up the Warehouse Clubs

If you’re really trying to save money, you might want to consider a warehouse club like Costco or Sam’s Club. These stores sell items in bulk, which means you’re getting more for your money. You can buy your kids’ backpacks and school supplies in bulk, which means you’ll have spares if they lose them (or forget to take them home). If you have a growing family, you can also buy items in bulk that you know you’ll need again soon, like baby bottles and diapers. You can also buy back to school clothes in bulk if your kids wear uniforms. This is a great option if your kids’ sizes change often. Warehouse clubs are also great places to find discounted school supplies, like notebooks and pens. Warehouse clubs don’t have to be scary or overwhelming: You can take a list and a calculator to help you keep track of how much everything costs.

The back-to-school season is a great time to save money on the supplies your kids need for the year. You can save money by shopping in-store and online, and by hitting up the warehouse clubs to buy school supplies in bulk. You can also save money by making a budget and setting priorities, and by finding out what’s on sale.