It seems like just yesterday school was letting out for the summer and it was time to figure out what to do with the kids over the extended break. Now, August is nearing its end, which only means one thing! It’s time to check out the back to school list and try not to panic over the abundance of items the kids are requested to purchase. There’s a few ways to avoid the painful budgeting that back to school supplies may cause for your household. With a little know how and some major shopping tactics you should be able to get your children back in school without stressing over spending too much on supplies. Now, you can relax and enjoy the peace and quiet the back to school months bring!

1. Wait
Although most school want students to show up with their bundle of supplies, it won’t affect your children’s grades if they show up empty handed. Try to send kids with the basics, such as a pencil or pen and paper. This will allow them to participate in the first days activities, if they need the supplies at all, without having to borrow from other students. When you drop your student off for the first day take a moment and talk to the teacher. If you explain you’re having a tough time getting the supplies the teacher many give you a list of things that are going to be absolutely mandatory for success in the class. A lot of the time the supplies will get distributed between students, so there will be no urgency on your student’s supplies. Some teacher’s may even tell you not to worry about the supplies because there will be plenty to share. Other teacher’s might give you a list of items that will be required throughout the year. This will allow you to buy supplies when needed rather than forcing you to load up at the beginning of the year. Even if your child’s teacher can give you a small break on supplies it could help save you a bit of money.

2. Last Year’s Stuff
Let’s face it, sometimes we’re asked to buy items that never get used. You probably have at least 2 or 3 empty notebooks, a set of perfectly good pens and pencils as well as packets of paper. Instead of getting rid of these items you should put them in storage over the summer. When the school list comes out then look at the supplies you already have an start marking off the list. Even if some of your items were already used you may want to consider recycling them for another school year. You child’s favorite folder or binder can be easy to transform for the next school year. You may also hold onto items that are grade appropriate for the next sibling. Items like flashcards and other learning supplies are easy to hold onto and will make your shopping supplies even easier to purchase. If your student won’t be sharing with other students then pack up some pencils from around the house. As the pencils become too small to use or broken you can easily replace them without worrying about too much money. Even backpacks are easy to reuse, especially for younger kids who don’t have a lot to carry around.

3. Tax Free Weekends
Most schools within a state start around the same time period. This is great because tax free weekends usually happen around the same time school is about to start. These weekends can be crucial when it comes to saving money though. Generally, everything you can think to buy won’t be taxed during the two day period. Thus, you will end up saving at least 6-10% on the items your children need for school. From school supplies to clothes, this might be the best time to endure the crowd and get your shopping out of the way. If you can find a store that is doing a sale on top of the tax free weekend then you’ll be doing even better than shopping the clearance bins! If you aren’t willing to do all of your shopping on this mega weekend then you should at least consider shopping for the more expensive supplies, such as a back pack or calculator during the tax free weekend. If you’re not sure when your state is having a tax free weekend then try looking online, calling your school or asking local merchants.

4. Go Plain
Kids love to personalize everything and who can blame them? Its fun going to school with special items to help show off a little personality. However, these items can be pretty pricey and will make your school shopping bill raise even higher if you’re not paying attention to how many you have in your cart. The best thing you can do with school supplies is to go as plan as possible. Generally you can get colored notebooks and folders for less than a dollar. This will help out a whole lot when it comes to buying for multiple children. Try to stay away from character items when you’re buying the other essentials like pencils, scissors and crayons. Chances are, your child’s supplies are going to be shared amongst the class, so there’s no point in splurging on items that your child won’t specifically use. If you can cut down on the major costs for most of the supplies then you’ll have more money to splurge on items like a backpack that will be exclusively used by your child. However, if your budget is still tight try to pick a backpack that is a solid color rather than any special designs as this will ring you out at a much cheaper price.

5. Use Apps
In the age of technology what could help you out more than you all powerful smartphone! When it comes to shopping—there’s an app for that. Actually, there’s a whole lot of apps for that and a lot of them won’t cost you a penny. Before you leave the house try to find a copy of the school supply list for your child’s class. Once you have it downloaded or printed out then take to the app. A lot of apps will tell you where the item is in stock, but there are also a lot that will help you find the item at the cheapest possible price. Try to find as many of your items this way as it will save on gas and get you the best possible deal. Of course, recently many stores have come out with their own price comparison apps. These apps allow you to input recent purchases. If the app finds a lower price then what you paid then the store that you purchased the item from originally with happily do a price match for you. This type of app is great for shoppers who like to stick with routine stores or do all of their shopping in one place.

6. Stock Up Early
Some of the back to school sales might be a bit too much to pass up, but there is actually a cheaper way to get school supplies. The key to getting the cheapest possible school supplies is to shop at the end of the school year. In May and June when the kids are taking the first dip in the pool is when you should think about buying school supplies for next year. This is largely due to supply and demand. Not as many people need the supplies during the summer months, so you’ll get the lowest possible price on the items they’re trying to sell. You may even get some of the products on clearance which will save you even more than you could imagine. So, with your kids school supplies out of the way before they can even think about the next semester you can start budgeting for the pricier items like clothes or, better yet, a nice vacation to get away from the worries of school!

7. Buy Bulk
If you have more than one child then you’ll probably find your school supply list a bit repetitive. If this is the case then your life is about to get a whole lot cheaper and easier. When it comes to fulfilling the same order on a list then it is so much easier just to buy the items in bulk. For instance, if each child needs 5 pencils a piece then the numbers going to add up fairly quickly. Buy a bulk pack of 20 or 30 and you’ll easily be able to give each child the number they need and have extras for all the mishaps the school year might bring. The same can be said with pens and markers. A lot of other products that come in handy in bulk are loose sheets of paper and notebooks. Generally you can buy a large box of these items and you’ll have plenty to share amongst everyone. You may even be lucky enough to have school supplies for next year. You should consider buying items like printer supplies in bulk and school projects always call for printed items.

8. Community Programs
Sometimes budgets might be a bit too tight to even consider school supplies. If this is the case then you may want to talk to your school about community programs in your area. Generally public schools, churches and other aid programs will be able to instruct you on how to apply or get in touch with a program that will help your children get the supplies they need. You may have to fill out some paperwork or volunteer to help out, but the program should be able to offer your children the supplies they need. If your area does not have one of these programs then you may want to discuss your problem with a church or your child’s school. Sometimes the school can give your child a waiver for the supplies or they can offer the student donated supplies from previous years. You may also want to look online to see if there are any stores offering aid with supplies for family who are having trouble purchasing them.

9. Dollar Stores
A lot of people tend to head straight for the department store when it comes to buying school supplies. However, there is always a much cheaper option that gets passed up. That is, the dollar store. Here you will receive major discounts on items and may even be able to buy some items in bulk for a mere dollar. This can come in handy when you’re shopping for many and it will ensure your budget doesn’t have to look as grim after the shopping period is over. Many people choose not to shop at the dollar store because they believe the items to be a lower quality, which is proven not to be case.

10. Coupons
When it comes to back to school shopping you shouldn’t be without your coupons! Although there will already be a whole lot of sales going on you may still be able to find coupons that will take the price even further down. Try looking for coupons in your local sales ads first, but when you get through these items then take to the internet. You’ll be surprised by how many stores offer online coupons. All you have to do is print them out, plan your shopping trip and enjoy saving a whole lot of money on the supplies you need!

Back to school shopping can be a lot of fun if you let go of the price tag. With these ten tips you should be able to forget about spending money and enjoy the last days of summer you have with your kids. After all, pretty soon it will be carpools and sports you’ll have to worry about, so enjoy the savings while possible.