Ideas to save on back-to-school prep

 

How to save on back-to-school time, from a financial coach.

 

The Summer break is soon ending, and with that starts back to school for the next school year. This can be stressful for parents since there is so much to buy, and prep is needed. Whoa! So that means, back to school has a heavy cost. I have been focusing on important things like immunization appointments. sports physicals and medication prep, but there are also large purchases needed. From, new clothes, shoes, school supplies, and toiletries.

Did you know that in 2024 back-to-school is estimated to be lower costing than last year, but the spending is still estimated to cost 586 dollars per child K-12? College students incur far more costs than this. So, if you have a 2 kids’ household you can expect costs over 1100.
Hold on, hold on, don’t panic, I got you. I will give you proven ways to reduce costs while providing everything needed to have a successful school year. As a financial coach and a parent, I apply these methods yearly to help me reduce my costs for the new school year.
 Let's get back to school!

Meet the coach!!

 

   Reusable items

   When deciding where to start with buying back to school, one idea to find savings is to know what can be reused from the previous school year. Most times there are items that were never used or can be salvaged for the next year. Major items for my household are sweaters, hoodies, jackets, and coats. These items are seldom used in my climate, so instead of spending on new items, these can be worn this year around. I save over 150 dollars using this method of thinking.

   Supplies are another big expense when it comes to back-to-school shopping. So, salvaging items from last school year will help cut costs. Items that hold up against the times are binders, calculators, rulers, dry-erase boards, scissors, and pencil pouches. These items can be reused if still in good condition. Reusing supplies saved me over 100 dollars on back-to-school expenses.

Reduce clothes and shoes costs

 Clothes and shoes for the school year are a must buy in some cases. Whether your focus is buying uniforms or free dress, attire can be a big portion of the back-to-school saga. Here are a few ways to make savings a reality.

   Trade clothes at a second-hand shop: 

For my household, clothes that are past their use in size and defects are loaded into my truck and hauled off to a second-hand shop. The intake will evaluate the clothes and let me know what they will buy and what items they can't accept. On average I receive about 60 dollars for 3 bags of clothes. The clothes that they do not accept, I donate to my local agencies. Now I have 60 for new clothes. Okay if you are keeping up, I am at 310 in savings so far.

 Shop at discounted stores for certain items:

 Another way to reduce costs is to shop at discounted stores for certain items. Discounted clothing stores, including e-commerce, are great for undergarments, socks, dresses, tee shirts, and gym wear. I typically shop at discounted stores for tops then shop for all bottoms like jeans skirts and shorts at a name-brand store. This year I saved 600 from last year on attire.

 Supplies drives

Supplies are so important for the school year. Having adequate supplies can allow your child to be prepared and flourish. With all that big thinking their brains will do, having supplies need not be the worry.

To save on the costs of back-to-school supplies I use my resources and attend supplies drives. A supply drive may not provide everything you need for the school year, but it does provide enough supplies to have a healthy impact on your savings. Most times there are multiple drives for different communities you are a part of. For instance, I was invited to attend a utensil drive where crayons, markers, pens, and pencils were provided, and then my luxury apartments provided all the tenants with coffee and school supplies. I later attended the school district back-to-school party and also obtained supplies there. So, throughout salvaging previous school year supplies and using my community resources, I saved over 350 in school supplies. I know you’ve been counting but I am at a total savings of about 1260

Tax-free weekend

Tax-free weekend is a period when state taxes are voided for certain items and purchases are state tax-free. Even though these holidays are in only 20 states, if you can participate, you could save a chunk of cash. This is the period when I wait to buy the remaining items I need for school because I can save even more on certain items. According to the Federation of Tax Administrators here are the states that offer tax-free weekends.

State	Days	Items Included/Maximum Cost
Alabama	3	hurricane preparedness generators $1,000 supplies $60
Alabama	3	clothing $100 computers $750 or less school supplies $50 books $30 or less per item
Alaska	152	All retail tangible goods (*Municipality of Skagway only)
Arkansas	2	clothing and footwear less than $100 school supplies
Connecticut	7	clothing and footwear less than $100
Florida	7	Qualifying tools and equipment
Florida	31	Recreational supplies, events.
Florida	28	Various disaster preparedness items.
Florida	14	Various back-to-school items.
Florida	99	Freedom Summer - Admissions to performances - Recreational supplies $25 - $500
Florida	14	disaster preparedness various items $20-$1,000
Florida	14	school supplies $50 clothing $100 computers $1,500
Florida	7	work gloves $25 flashlights & bags $50 toolboxes $75 test equipment $100 more
Iowa	2	clothing $100
Louisiana	3	firearms, ammunition, and hunting supplies/ second amendment weekend holiday
Maryland	3	energy star products
Maryland	7	clothing & footwear $100
Massachusetts	2	all TPP $2,500
Mississippi	3	Articles of clothing, footwear, or school supplies if the sales price of a single item is less than $100.
Mississippi	3	The following items when used for hunting: archery equipment, firearm and archery cases, firearm and archery accessories, hearing protection, holsters, belts, and slings.
Missouri	7	energy star products $1,500
Missouri	3	clothing $100 computers $1,500 school supplies $50
Nevada	3	Purchases by National Guard Members
New Mexico	1	Small Business Saturday Gross Receipts Tax Holiday
New Mexico	3	clothing $100 computers $1,000 computer equip. $500 school supplies $30
Ohio	10	All tangible personal property that is $500 or less, with some exceptions.
Puerto Rico		hurricane preparedness sales tax holiday
South Carolina	3	clothing school supplies computers other
Tennessee	92	Food and food ingredients
Tennessee	3	clothing $100 school supplies $100 computers $1,500
Texas	3	generators $3,000 storm devices $300 preparedness items $75
Texas	3	Water efficient products sales tax holiday
Texas	3	energy star products air conditioners $6,000; other $2,000
Texas	3	clothing, backpacks and school supplies – $100
Virginia	3	clothing $100 school supplies $20 energy star products $2500 hurricane preparedness items $60 generators $1,000
West Virginia	4	clothing $125 school supplies $20 sports equipment $150 computer-tablet $500

Split shopping to next month's cycle

  As your financial coach, I’m here to tell you it is okay to buy as the school year progresses. They can’t use all the items in one day and as long as their essentials are covered, they will have a healthy start to their new education year. Your budget may call for only certain amounts to be spent and the next income source can buy more supplies and items. If you need guidance in creating a budget check out my blog à How to create a budget plan and why you need one.

Takeaway

The biggest thing to remember is that no matter how you're dealing with going back to school we can all try to save a little. In the matter of this blog, I broke down a proven strategy to save on items and reduce expenses from your monthly budget. Small efforts to save on all items added up to a savings of over 1200. This is why I always say coins turn to dollars and then to financial freedom. My savings account looks 1200 dollars stronger because of my savvy saving decisions.  Now I can take those savings and make them stretch further to the next big idea.

Keep putting in small efforts and stick with it, I promise you will be financially successful.
Keep getting financially fit with me!!

-Coach Bre