A-Plus Budget Tips for Back-to-School Shopping

The start of a new school year is exciting for kids—and expensive for parents. Since school supplies and clothes are expenses that hit every year, creating a simple budget on a spreadsheet will have you well prepared. Now, you can be a smart and savvy shopper, buying only what you need and finding great deals.

Two people shopping for back-to-school clothes

Here’s a list of back-to-school budget tips to get you started:

Make a list of everything you need
As soon as you receive your child’s supply list, download a pre-made back-to-school checklist—or create one of your own—that includes everything your child needs. List everything in a budgeting template so you have an easy way to keep track of the items and add estimated costs. Bonus: You can re-use this next year, too, so you just have to make small adjustments rather than starting over from scratch every year.
Go on a scavenger hunt at home
There’s a good chance that you already have some of the things on the list—it’s just a matter of finding them. It’s amazing how many supplies you might discover crammed in drawers or neglected in last year’s backpack. Maybe an older sibling has barely-used notebooks and pencils under their bed, or your child has a pile of forgotten clothing in the corner of their closet. Have your child try on everything in their closet and drawers first to get a true idea of what’s needed vs. what’s nice to have.
Set a spending limit
If your current budget doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room for additional purchases, brainstorm ways you can save extra money or make extra money over the summer that you can put toward school supplies. Sell clothes and toys your kids have outgrown, or do a month-long challenge where you skip your usual “fun” spending on meals out or coffee on the go. You might even join a task service where you can do individual jobs to earn extra money on the side. Don’t be afraid to enlist your kids to help, too. Consider asking them to contribute a small portion of their earnings from doing odd jobs for friends and neighbors.
Find creative ways to get what you need
Organize a neighborhood or school clothing swap, track upcoming sales, team up with a few friends on bulk purchases, or venture into a few thrift stores. Not everything has to be brand new, and discount stores might surprise you by offering a lot of what you need.

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Spread out the spending
Maybe it’s still warm out and your kid doesn’t need fall clothes until next month. And you can often find good deals on things like water bottles or lunch boxes a few weeks into the school year, when many stores offer clearance sales on remaining back-to-school merchandise.

With the right preparation this can be a fun time for everyone, and a great way to teach your kids smart ways to make a budget, plan ahead, and spend their money wisely. After all, money management is a valuable subject to learn, too.