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Back to School Gear for Less
It's about time for the kids to go back to school!
Now comes the
tricky part -- getting them ready to go back to school without paying a king's
ransom. Here are some ways to get the most for your money:
BACKPACKS
Wait for the clearance sales!
The best time to buy backpacks and lunch boxes is in September, after school
has started. Most stores want to clear out their back-to-school inventory
to make way for Christmas items. I have found fantastic prices at Walmart
in mid-September. Last year, I bought backpacks with a lifetime guarantee
for $10 each. I had seen them a few weeks earlier for $30 each. If my kid
wears out or rips the backpack, the company will repair or replace it for
free. Several companies have backpacks with lifetime guarantees. The ones
I bought are made by Outdoor Products. I wrote them to see if I needed to
send anything in to register for the guarantee. They said no, just send it
in and they'll take care of it free of charge.
Get it Free!
Look around for special offers and giveaways. Our local minor league baseball
team gave away free backpacks for anyone who attended one of their games.
The boys loved their free backpacks with the local baseball team's logo on
it, after Grandpa had taken them to the game (and stuffed the boys full of
junk food). Many food and toy companies also have special offers, keep and
eye out to see if these offers are worth your while.
Make it!
You can also make backpacks and book bags. Most sewing companies make patterns
for them.
LUNCH BOXES
Get them cheap.
Garage Sales are the cheapest place to find lunch boxes and thermoses. If
you child loses them, it's not such a big deal, since you paid so little
for them. Yard sales are the absolute best place to find lined thermoses.
My family has a talent for dropping these and shattering the glass liners.
I either buy them from yard sales or find the non-glass ones on clearance.
Keep at eye out year-round at thrift stores as well. I have found plastic,
insulated lunch sacks for 50 cents each at Good Will from time to time.
Spruce up an old lunch box.
In the Tightwad Gazette, Amy Dacyczyn suggests replacing old, worn out lunch
box stickers by making new ones. You can find her ideas on page #14 of the
Complete Tightwad Gazette
Buy it on clearance.
You don't have to wait long! You can find great bargains after school starts.
I found lunch boxes on clearance at Walmart in mid-September last year for
far less than they were selling for just a few weeks previously. I bought
insulated lunch boxes, the soft kind that has a zipper on it, for $2 each.
I had seen these for around $10 in August. Inside, there were coupons and
free product samples that I put into my kids' lunches. What a deal! I bought
a few extra at that price to replace any that might get lost. They still
look great this year -- comparable to the backpacks!
CHEAPER SCHOOL SUPPLIES
With all of the great Back to School sales going on, August and September
are definitely the best times to stock up on school and office supplies.
We like to stock up for the entire year. For a while, our home looks like
an office supply store! Over the years, I've consistently found the best
prices at Walmart and at dollar stores. Last year, I stocked up on notebooks
for 5-10 cents each, white glue for 33 cents a bottle, and looseleaf paper
for 25 cents a pack. Sometimes you can even find them cheaper than that,
just keep scanning those Sunday ads in the paper.
This year I noticed the prices seemed slightly higher, but we still did very
well on our budget -- we spent about $15 per child. Backpacks and lunch boxes
from last year still look new, and the kid's clothing has been purchased
throughout the summer on clearance and at yard sales. Having an overall frugal
strategy will more than offset the slightly higher prices on notebooks, looseleaf
paper and other products that may rise in price.
MORE IDEAS
Coupons, sales, and rebates.
Just like with grocery purchases, sometimes you can hit a sale just right
and wind up getting more money back than what you paid for an item.
Off brands.
Some of them are just as good as the name brands. I tend to choose RoseArt
over Crayola. RoseArt is much cheaper but the quality is very good. If you
have any little ones who might eat crayons, stick to Crayola, since they
are guaranteed non-toxic. Some off-brands are not.
Buy quality when it counts.
The kids' metal Fiskars scissors really last well, and are much better than
the cheap plastic scissors. The plastic ones break easily, and are frustrating
for kids and adults to use. Another great product to try is the Colorific
brand of markers. They can stay uncapped for three days without drying out.
My kids have actually made their sets last for over a year. This will be
the first time my kids have returned to school with the same markers they
used last year! If you have forgetful kids, these are a bargain!
Check out the dollar stores.
They have great deals on just about anything non-perishable items, especially
paper products, crayons, and other school supplies.
Get creative with school supply holders/pencil boxes. Use tupperware, decorated
shoeboxes and ziploc bags in lieu of pencil cases and those zippered bags
that hold pens and pencils. If you do buy them, make sure they will last
more than a few months -- spend the extra and buy the heavy-duty ones!
BOOK & REGISTRATION FEES
The costs of getting your kids back to school are never-ending, and one thing
most people can count on is shelling out more money for schoolbooks and
registration fees. You would think that the taxes we spend on practically
everything we do and own would cover these costs, but they don't. Public
education is still a bargain, but it's no longer truly free. We expect to
pay well over $100 in fees for two out of our three children to go back to
school this fall. I'd hate to see what larger families have to pay!
Check out local programs in your area. You can get grants to cover book and
registration fees if you meet your school district's guidelines. Contact
your school district and ask about grants for book fees, registration fees,
and the reduced lunch program. A neighbor of mine was surprised to find out
that she qualified for all three of these things, although she makes decent
money. If you have a disabled child, you may also be eligible for special
services and grants that you may not be aware of. Make the call! You'll be
glad you did.
Sign up for our weekly Frugality Corner Newsletter! it's free! Subscribe by filling out the form here
 Recommended Reading: By following the shopping list, and using my coupons and club cards I saved over $102.00 on my grocery bill! The fact that everything is made in advance means no more last minute trips to the store for one or two things and walking out having spent valuable time in line and an extra $75.00. Now I just run to the dairy for fresh milk and eggs once or twice a week and that's it.
The first time I tried the recipes my daughters helped out in the kitchen and it turned into a fun learning experience and quality family time.
The recipes are easy to follow and well thought out. I didn't have to add anything at all to spice up the flavor.
Most importantly, the kids are hooked to, since they are responsible for kitchen cleanup. There are fewer nightly dishes. No more fighting over who has to scrub the pans. Fantastic book! (courtesy Amazon)
About the Author
Kim Tilley, a tightwad at heart, is a wife, a mother of three active boys. Frugal by force and
later by choice, Kim cut her income by 60% to stay at home with her children
and discovered that anyone can live better for less. Her work has appeared
in print publications such as The Tightwad Gazette. In her free time, she
entertains herself by chasing kids and finding ways to create something from
nothing!
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