Here’s How To Save During Back To School 2021

Regardless of whether your children are heading back to homeroom or just the living room, here’s how to save on back-to-school shopping.

The pandemic changed how we shop, how children go to class, and indeed, how we go about back to school shopping. Whether you’re shopping in-store or online, the costs of uniforms, supplies, and now health products like hand sanitizer and masks can be costly.

Here are seven ways to reduce expenses as you set up your children for the school year.

1. Determine what you need and what you may already have

You’re likely to have some leftover supplies from the previous school year. Look through your office, closets, drawers, and bins to gather up what you already own. Doing a supply sweep can cross off items on your list and keep you from making unnecessary purchases.

2. Compare costs before shopping as well as after

Before making purchases, compare prices at different retailers. A few cents difference on pencils and notebooks may seem minor but can add up in savings. For items like apparel and electronics, the difference in prices between retailers can be significant.

Look into retailer’s price matching policies also. Many offer price matching refunds if you find a lower price within a time frame after your purchase.

3. Make use of credit card rewards

Make your spending work for you by buying with a cash-back credit card. The rewards can quickly add up. Just be sure the balance is paid off before you’re charged interest.

4. Be wary of buy now, pay later options

Buy now, pay later options allow you to pay for your purchase in installment payments. While they may seem enticing when money is tight, these options may not be as good as they seem. Be sure to completely read the fine print because fees and interest rates may vary.

Before using buy now, pay later, consider talking with your child’s teachers about supplies that may not be needed or may not be required until a later date.

5. Collaborate to purchase in bulk

Regardless of where your children will be attending school, online or in-person, they’ll need supplies that other students are likewise after. By collaborating with parents, you can buy things like hand sanitizer and supplies for schoolwork and note-taking in bulk.

6. Take advantage of tax-free holidays

Seventeen states offer tax-free holidays in August 2021. If you’re making purchases online to be picked up in-store, retailers might require you to pick up on the tax-free days to receive the benefits, so keep this in mind.

Tax-free holidays vary across states, so find the date (or dates) of your state’s tax-free holiday and determine what products are eligible online or in-store beforehand.

7. Practice and teach frugality

Use back-to-school shopping as a chance to teach frugality. Have your children help with planning and shopping. Make a back-to-school budget together. These are skills that will aid you and your child in the future.