Six Ways to Save on Back-to-School Shopping
Guess what — summer is over. Ok, so it's not technically over. But the carefree, I-don't-have-to-think-about-school part is certainly long gone. Think differently? Just look at the Sunday paper ads, the email promotions and banner ads all over the web, and the signage in almost any store you walk into these days. Oh yeah, it's back-to-school time, baby.
If you're a student or parent of a student, it's likely that you now have a long list of stuff you need to buy for school. And, of course, you want to get all the best stuff at the best posible price, right? Well, Smart Money has some suggestions to help — offering us six ways to save on back-to-school shopping including:
1. Shop superstores - Target, Walmart and Kmart tend to have better prices on school supplies than office supply stores.
2. Ask for a price adjustment - Many stores will honor today's sale price for items purchased up to two weeks ago, provided you still have the receipt.
3. Take advantage of tax holidays - Depending on where you live, you could save up to 7% (local sales tax may still apply) on top of store sales.
4. Focus on loss leaders - Focus on picking up a few items from store circulars each week, and scooping up the rest of what you need on clearance at the last minute.
5. Buy from manufacturers - Apple offers special pricing year-round for students through its Online Store for Education, and Dell provides student deals thought its Dell University site.
6. Work from a list - Many school districts and individual teachers provide checklists of what your child will need. These lists can help you separate the must-haves form the wants and spend accordingly.
Here's the great thing about back-to-school sales: not only is this a great time for students to save, but it's also a built-in sale for the rest of us that need some office supplies, a new computer or anything "school" related. If this includes you, then catch the wave of student savings and save yourself a bundle.
8 Deals on Back-to-School Shopping [Smart Money]
— FREE MONEY FINANCE (Photo: taberandrew)
Post a comment
Comments:
There are also many many blogs out there that consolidate all of the sale prices, so you can decide whether to cherry pick or make one trip to the best location.
Am I the only single person -- who doesn't *need* back to school supplies -- that has to avoid stores that sell back to school supplies? Because I get giddy at the thought, even at 28, of new notebooks and pens and binders. And I don't need any of that crap. I have too many notebooks as it *is*.
Last time I walked into wal*mart, they had name brand notebooks on the cheap-cheap, and I had to back sloooowly away from the display and pretend I didn't see it.
@pattiesmart: Post-college, working adult here. My weakness is pencil bags. Especially the shiny ones.
Buying at the last minute? Not so smart. We did that last year - there's nothing there at the last frickin' minute.
Shop early. And also, a good personal recommendation for binders is the Silhouette View binders from Avery. Hard plastic covers and pretty durable, too, even if at $6 a pop.
Have you seen the Trapper Keepers and other awesome school supplies they make for kids these days? Man I am super jealouSE.
Summer was over the day I started working full-time last year. Enjoy it while you can, youngsters.. enjoy it while you can!
/tear
@pattiesmart: Understood! The 24-packs of multicolored Sharpies are luring me with their siren song.
I get pretty generous coupons to office supply stores because I'm on their "small business" mailing lists. At this time of year I pass those coupons on to friends with kids who are doing school supply shopping.
@pattiesmart: For the past few weeks, CVS has been doing these free after "extra care bucks" that I've been rolling from week-to-week. I am a young adult with NO children. I've been giving a few things to a friend's children. What I don't use, I'll be donating to a local school.
I thought that Walmart was evil? They produce low quality goods, right? They have poor customer service. They even try to steal business from the Girl Scouts! I read all this here on the Consumerist just in the last few weeks.
But now we should shop there for our supplies to save a few bucks?
This website is getting more confusing every week!
@pattiesmart: OMG me too! I hoard notebooks and sharpies and pretty folders. It's embarassing. On the other hand, once my seven month old goes to school, I'll have all the paper and pencils he'll ever need. I make myself wait until the stuff hits 75% off or better at Target, then I pounce.
@Rectilinear Propagation: Mine starts the third week of august. It's pretty ridiculous because the only reason we do is sports and their practice requirements.
Of course we also finish school the second week of May, but that's beside the point.
@Powerlurker: Yes! I still have old ones, but these are tempting [www.mead.com]
I always preferred zipper binders though: [www.mead.com]
I understand Transformers, Ninja Turtles, VHS, John Hughes in terms of my 80s nostalgia. But school supplies? Clearly I have a problem.
back to school shopping means summer is over. :'( but i love the $0.01 deals from the office supply stores. picked up 25 folders for my classroom for $0.25. I think I fixed the economy. You're welcome. :)
I keep forgetting that school doesn't start until September in a lot of places.