1. Start Early
Don’t wait until the last minute to get your back-to-school shopping done. Not only is it stressful to wait until the last minute to shop, but you’ll also spend a lot more money.
Big store chains such as Target and Walmart; drug stores such as CVS and Walgreens; and office supply stores such as Office Depot and Staples begin their back-to-school sales a number of weeks before school actually starts. Start picking up the best deals each week (i.e., $0.01 bargains at Staplesand free-after-rebate offers at Office Depot), and by the time most people begin their back-to-school shopping, you already will have most of your shopping done—and all for pennies on the dollar!
2. Buy Extras
When looking at the back-to-school sales, don’t just buy what’s on the required list from your local school. Buy extras of things such as glue, crayons, paper, notebooks, markers and other items you use on a regular basis around your home.
I look forward to the back-to-school deals each year so I can stock up on office and craft supplies we use on a regular basis—all at the cheapest prices I’ll be able to get all year. My philosophy: Why pay $1 or more for a bottle of glue in November when you can stock up in August and only pay $0.25 per bottle?
Plus, because many teachers have to pay for some of their classroom supplies out of pocket, consider buying extras of the great deals and donating them to your children’s’ classroom. Or, you could purchase them for local families who are struggling financially.
3. Price-Match at Walmart
Instead of going to 3 to 5 different stores each week to stock up on the amazing back-to-sale bargains, just stop at Walmart and price-match all the local deals there. Check the ads in your newspaper or online, make a list of local prices, take these to Walmart, and tell your cashier what local prices you’re price-matching on the items you’re purchasing.
Walmart’s corporate coupon policy says you don’t need an ad in order to price-match. However, I usually bring the ads with me in case there’s any issue or confusion about what the price is.
Crystal Paine is a wife, mom of three and the owner of MoneySavingMom.com. Check her site on Saturdays for the best back-to-school deals at Office Depot, Office Max, CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid and Staples for each upcoming week.
