How to Save on Back to School Shopping

Having 3 children all in grade school, the month of May just gives me the creep.  May because its time for enrollment and June because its time to shop for school supplies.  Since March, I have been saving some cash so I will have some cash to buy new uniforms for my kids.  I also bought the cloth ahead of time so I won’t have to bother nor worry about them when school opening starts.

Here are simple ways you can curb that anxiety:

Assess and Decide on what is needed before the month of May.

Make a list of ALL the school supplies needed.  Before making your list, I suggest you inspect your children’s old school items before deciding what needed to be replaced and bought. For example, I found that my middle child’s school bag still looked good as new.  One thing about me is that although we only have enough money to go around, when it comes to clothing,  shoes and other frequently used items, I prefer buying high quality items.  I inspected their shoes and school uniforms and decided that some of them are still good to wear for another year and some of my eldest daughter’s skirt needed to be repaired.  Setting aside all those that needed repair, I decided how many blouses, skirts, polos and shorts are needed for this coming school year.

Call School Admission a Month before Enrollment.

I always call my children’s school admission office to check for school fees increase and schedule.  This helps me decide on how much I needed to pay during the enrollment.  Its also advisable to check how much the book fees not to mention those dreaded miscellaneous fees.

Make a Plan.

If you have not done this yet, make a short financial plan.  This should all be broken down as follows:

1) School Fees, including miscellaneous fees

2) School Uniforms including P.E. Uniforms

3) School Supplies

In my case, since I have 3 children, I broke down my budget per child. Once you have added up all the possible expenses, I suggest adding 20% for contingency.

Next plan out how you will be able to pay for those expenditures.  In my case, I have started saving for my children’s school expenses last year.  I try to be at least 6 months ahead when it comes to saving for my children’s education.  I suggest you try to make the habit of setting aside a certain percentage of your monthly income for your children’s education.

Plot your Schedule on your Calendar.

Doing the above will help you curb unnecessary trips to the mall.  It will also help to check out the stores at least two months before shopping and decide where you wanted to buy the school items.  I have also learned that 2 months before June, malls begins there mid year inventory which means there will be huge sales prior to these inventories.  This might be the best time to buy those expensive yet durable black shoes and school bags.

Plan your shopping day wisely and never go to the mall on a weekend.  Avoid the crowd and last minute shoppers.  Spend enough time in the store of your choice so you can still do a quick price comparison. When doing your shopping, stick on your list and let your budget known to your children.

Buy in Bulk for the Whole Year.

In my case, since I have 3 children in school, I save more money buying school supplies in bulk.  Instead of buying one pencil for each child, I opt to buy one box of pencils instead.  The same goes for crayons, markers, notebooks and paper.  Place these supplies somewhere where your children cannot touch them.  I have a school supplies cabinet in my house.  Children can make requests for supplies when necessary only.

So,

If you have done those necessary steps mentioned, you should be able to survive May and June without breaking the bank.  It is also essential to include your children with your planning so they will understand whats vs needs.  Shopping with children does not have to be stressful especially when they know you are hell bent on sticking to the list.  As always, remember to reward good behavior!

How did you do this month by the way?

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