by Kym Byrnes
Parents with children in kindergarten through 12th grade spent an average of $630.36 in 2015 getting their kids ready to return to school, according to the National Retail Federation. That includes spending just under $100 on school supplies. With a little planning and patience, you can make the back to school hustle a little more affordable.
- Get creative with crafty ideas. Wrap your kids’ textbooks in chalkboard-painted paper for a unique look. It keeps the book clean, it is easy to replace and it will allow your children to decorate in their own style.
- Start shopping early and get a little at a time. In July and August, keep an eye on flyers and sales and get what is on sale that week.
- Consider holding off on shopping for school clothes until after school starts. The weather doesn’t cool down until October and some stores will offer better sales after school starts.
- Assess what you have before you start shopping. You’ll be surprised how much you may have stocked away or left over. Torn folders and frayed notebooks will have to be replaced, but barely used bottles of glue and markers that are still fresh can be used.
- Check out online shopping deals. Box stores may offer better prices on some things but cheaper prices can often be found online, especially for items you can buy in bulk to use throughout the year like markers, glue, paper, notebooks, etc…
