10 Tips for a Budget Friendly Back to School Experience

It’s that time of year again, ugh…back to school shopping.  From time to time, I try to write a post that might be somewhat helpful.  Today I’ve decided to share some tips and tricks to make this preparation for the new school year a bit easier to handle.  As I researched for this post, I discovered that many people spend up to a THOUSAND dollars per child for back to school needs.  WHAT?? HOW?  My kids would have loved to spend a thousand bucks on their school clothes and supplies, but with 7 kids in the family..um…NO FREAKIN’ WAY!!  We had no choice but to stay within a strict budget for school shopping, and I had to try and do it in a way that would not embarrass them or have them walking around with a big invisible arrow pointing at their head flashing “we have no money”. 🙂  I thought back to those days, asked a few friends and relatives for their tips, and this is what I came up with for a budget friendly back to school experience.

1.  SET A SPENDING LIMIT.  Stick to that limit, no matter what.

2. SIT DOWN WITH EACH CHILD, TAKE INVENTORY, AND DEVELOP A PLAN OF ACTION.  Prioritize needs versus wants, and come up with a spending plan.  This way you aren’t in the store grabbing everything in sight because it’s “cute” or debating over whether something can be afforded.  Have a plan, and involve the child.

3.  SHOP GARAGE SALES AND THRIFT STORES FOR GOOD QUALITY USED CLOTHING.  Start at the beginning of the summer with specific items in mind. 

4.  UTILIZE LOCAL ONLINE BUY, SELL, TRADE SITES.  These type of sites are popping up all over Facebook and are a great way to get good quality name brand clothing for next to nothing.  If your child has clothing that they have outgrown or just don’t wear anymore, help them sell these on one of these sites.  They can then use the extra money to buy themselves new clothing without using up their budgeted spending limit. 

5. ONLY PURCHASE A FEW GOOD QUALITY SUMMER CLOTHING ITEMS TO GET THEM STARTED.  Many of the stores try to market the fall clothing line for back to school, but in reality, kids will still be wearing summer clothing for at least another month or two (if your children start back in August).  This is actually a great time to get in on the end of summer clearance!  In a month or so, purchase the fall/winter clothing.  This will help your budget that is already stretched to the max right now.

6. SPEND LESS ON YOUNGER CHILDREN.   Yes, that is what I said.  If you have a large family, spend less on clothing for the little ones.  I know, I know…those little ones look absolutely adorable in their designer jeans and shirts- but at this age THEY don’t really care. If you buy the little ones cute, cheap clothing, there will be extra in the budget for those older ones that DO care.  I know I’ll probably get some negative feedback on this suggestion, but if you are really needing to save money-it’s a good one. 

7. STOCK UP NOW ON INEXPENSIVE SCHOOL SUPPLIES.  At this time of year, basic school supplies are very inexpensive.  Buy a few extra items while they are this cheap, because they will need to be replenished before the year is over.  Shop early, before everything is picked over.  I can’t count how many years that my kids started school without a PINK eraser or without the special rounded tip safety scissors, because they were always sold out by the time my procrastinating butt got around to school shopping! 

8. ASK YOUR SCHOOL IF THEY HAVE SPORTS EQUIPMENT TO LEND OR SELL CHEAPLY.   It really isn’t well known, but many school athletic departments actually have spare sports equipment or shoes that have been donated.  One year we were able to purchase a “like new condition” pair of expensive cleats from the athletic department for twenty bucks.  Another year, one of our children borrowed a set of golf clubs for the season. It never hurts to ask if your school has a program like this, and if they don’t, maybe you could suggest that they start one!

9. APPLY FOR FREE/REDUCED MEAL PROGRAMS.  These are not just for people that aren’t working.  If you have a large family, you may qualify. Do not be embarrassed to check into it, there is no shame in assuring that your children get a nutritious lunch every day.  My husband and I both worked decent paying jobs, but with a family of nine we qualified for reduced (not free) meals when all of the kids were home.  It was a tremendous help at a time when every penny counted. 

10. ENCOURAGE TEENAGERS TO WORK FOR THEIR EXTRA SCHOOL CLOTHES.   It is understandable that teenagers want more/nicer clothing to wear to school, but they can definitely help defray those costs by getting a job to help with the extras.  This also helps them to appreciate what goes into purchasing these items. 

If all else fails, you could always send your kids on a neighborhood scavenger hunt for school supplies, make them run a lemonade stand all summer for clothing money, and hit up the good ‘ole grandparents for some help!  JUST KIDDING!!  With the stress and expense of back to school shopping, we can all use a little bit of humor!  Have fun shopping!