If you are approaching back to school shopping on a budget, you might be worried that you won’t be able to get the supplies you need with the money you have. Of course not buying the supplies is not an option, so what are you to do? You will be happy to know that there are some simple tips you can follow that will still allow you to get the supplies you need with the budget you are working with. Below, you will find five strategies that can help you enjoy back to school shopping on a budget…even the smallest of budgets!
Take a look at these five shopping strategies and see how easy it can be to get back to school on a budget while still getting all of the supplies you need.
5 Strategies for Back to School Shopping on a Budget:
1. The trusted envelope system.
With this strategy, you are using the envelope system many frugalistas use when paying their monthly bills. When you use the envelope system, you take 5 envelopes and label each one with a back to school supply category. For example: clothing, office supplies, electronics, lunch supplies, after school materials. Take your budget and divide it amongst these 5 envelopes. When the money in each envelope is gone, it is gone. Don’t go over your budget or allocate additional funds in order to buy more. This method will help you do everything you can to stretch your budget and get the most bang for your buck.
2. Price match.
Patronize stores that will allow you to price match such as Target and Walmart. This way, you can do your shopping all in one place and not waste gas and time running from store to store chasing after deals. Pay attention to the sales ads in your Sunday paper and plan your shopping strategy accordingly. When you price match you get the lowest price possible all in one easy and convenient place.
3. Prioritize.
Do you really need designer jeans or the scientific calculator needed as required by a course? The calculator of course! Make a list of 1-20 (or more or less if you need) items that you will need for back to school and prioritize them. Which one do you need the most and which one do you need the least? Make #1 the most important on your list and #20 the least. Start purchasing items in order from 1-20 as your funds allow. You may run out of funds by the time you get to 10 or 11 on your list, but that is alright since you know your most important items have been purchased.
4. Shop generic.
Do you really need the name brand lunch boxes and backpacks? Probably not. Instead, shop generic. There are plenty of store brand items as well as generic brand items that are just as good. Look for backpacks, lunch boxes, pens, pencils, paper, and more by generic makers. You can easily save as much as 25%. Some schools do require brand name supplies like Elmer’s Glue or Crayola Crayons but those often go on sale for super cheap this time of year, so it is important to know what you need to buy in specific brands vs. where you can go generic.
5. Shop office supply stores.
Typically, people don’t think of office supply stores as a place to get children’s back to school items. However, they are a hot spot for back to school deals. Get everything you need at a huge discount. Plus, many stores such as Office Max and Staples offer discount coupons available in your local paper. Give these stores a try and see what sort of supplies you can dig up on a dime. Plus, you can even use their sale prices to price match at your regular store.
Give these 5 simple shopping strategies a try and see how easy it is to stay in the set budget for back to school shopping. Whether your budget is a shoe string one or a tad bit fatter, you can easily adapt your shopping strategy to these tips and see a notable savings.
There is no reason to stress when it comes to back to school shopping on a budget. All you need to do is give these 5 strategies a try and you will get everything you need for back to school for less.
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