Back to School Shopping Savings on a Shoe
String Budget
Dr. Stephen Jones
Are you worried about your back-to-school shopping bill? Shopping for back-to-school items can be a
very costly adventure for most families. Some parents rush out to the store and
purchase back to school items without a list. Unfortunately, a shopper can pay
20 to 30 percent more by not having a list and considering the cost of the
items you are purchasing. You should have a shopping plan that starts early
during the summer. The sales that you see at the end of the summer may not be
the best cheapest price.
It is better to purchase back to school items when you can shop
with patience. When you’re in a rush to
make a purchase and there is no planning involved you pay more. One of my major recommendations is to plan
your shopping dates. If you have a plan
you can avoid making unnecessary purchases and tips in your car or on public
transportation. It’s amazing how many items you can add to your shopping cart
that you did not intend to purchase. It's better to do your shopping before you
go on vacation during August. It seems
that when most families return from a late summer vacation, classes are not far
away. If you do not have an inventory of
the things you already have you will make costly purchases.
Some shoppers stay away from the dollar store because they
believe that these items are inferior.
There are tremendous savings right in the dollar store. You can purchase binders, composition books,
pencils, pens, crayons for a dollar each. Some of these items are perfectly
good but other stores have sold them to the dollar store. Start shopping at the dollar store and you
will find some great savings. There are some other valuable back-to-school
shopping tips to consider. Here are my top five:
(1) Ask retailers
about special back to school discounts.
(2) Shop in bulk and share with a group of friends (BJs,
Cosco etc).
(3) Search for a good laptop on websites like Dell and
Apple.
(4) Ask your local bookstore about their next sales day and
check on Amazon.
(5) Check of items you have on your shopping as you purchase
them.
(6) Ask your friends where they are getting the best sales
(7) Use the App on your cell phone to catch sales, Staples,
Office Depot or Walmart stores
Each year the number of parents who are shopping online is growing. If you shop online many retailers offer discounts and free shipping. If you are disciplined, you will save money and purchase just the item you need from each website. Some schools require certain clothes like Kaki pants and a green shirt. These items can be found on clothing websites too. The websites for Target and Walmart offer many of these clothing items. If you do your research early you can find a lot of savings.
These tips all work when you apply them. Try something new and you will find that your
savings ideas will explode. The best way
to enjoy your back-to-school experience is organizing a plan that you will
follow. Involve your children by getting
them to make lists and look for discounts. You can give them points toward the
purchase of something they want. Getting
a child’s participation will be a great way to make their new school year
exciting. You can look on the school
website to determine the items that your child needs. Every student wants to feel like they are
prepared for the new school year. Let
your back-to-school purchases be catalyst for an exceptional new year. There is
no time like today to get the best sales of the shopping season.
Dr Stephen Jones is a speaker education advocate and author
of several college preparation books The Parent’s Ultimate Education Guide and
the Ultimate scholarship Guide and the Ultimate Scholarship G Guide. Add these
books to your shopping list at http://www.DrJonesBooks.com
Dr. Stephen Jones Books
1. Seven Secrets of How to Study
2. Ultimate Scholarship Guide
3. Ultimate Parents Guide
4. http://www.DrJonesbooks.com
Parents course: https://teachit.bz/parents
Join my podcast on the Anchor App which is
titled Education Central
https://anchor.fm/stephen-jones91