Back-to-School Shopping on A Budget

The back-to-school season is here! My kids will be returning to school before I know it. Is it just me, or have the cost of school supplies gone up a LOT since the pandemic?

I think it’s getting ridiculous.

This upcoming school year, I’ll have four children going back to the classroom. Just trying to make sure that they have everything they need, like new supplies and clothes, can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming — especially doing it on a budget.

Should I shop early? Do I go to the Dollar Store? Should I just wait for the Tax-Free Holiday weekend to buy everything?

These are some of the burning questions that go through my mind this time of the year. But one thing I know for sure is that I can NOT wait until the last minute to get all of our back-to-school shopping done.

The shelves will be a mess. The checkout lines will be long. And the kids will try their best to talk me into adding silly things in the cart that they just don’t need — yes, liquid glitter glue, I’m talking about you.

Tips for Back-to-School on A Budget

Here’s how I always plan our back-to-school shopping without going broke in the process. Hopefully, these tips will help you save money and reduce stress.

Gather Old School Supplies

Before I rush to the store to buy brand-new supplies, I check my house for school stuff that they can use again.

Whether it’s a backpack or a pair of scissors — there’s no point in replacing these things if they’re still in good shape. Most of the time, I will replace my kids’ backpacks and lunch bags about every two years.

Start Shopping Early

As soon as I see those back-to-school supplies hit the shelves, I start shopping a little bit here and there.

Even if it’s just a few packs of glue sticks or Number 2 pencils, it makes a difference in the grand scheme of things.

Buy the Store Brand

At my local Walmart right now, a 10-count pack of washable Crayola markers is $2.47. But a 10-count pack of Cra-Z-Art washable markers is $0.75 cents.

Now, which one would you buy? I know which brand of washable markers I’m adding to my cart!

That’s a $1.72 price difference and trust me, the savings can help your back-to-school shopping budget stretch further.

Declutter Your kids clothes

With summer ending and school starting, this is a great time to sort through my kids’ clothes to see what I need to donate, hand down, or purchase because they grow fast.

I feel like my boys always need new socks, underwear, and shoes to start the school year, so I’ll begin there before I shop for clothes.

Most of their clothing, I can rotate and pass down to a sibling anyway, but sometimes I have to go buy new stuff. To save money, I may shop at a Children’s Resale store, an outlet store, or at Target or Walmart.

I really love Target’s Cat & Jack brand. It’s my favorite because it’s affordable, made well, and they even guarantee it with a 1-year return policy!

But Walmart’s Wonder Nation brand is not to be slept on either. It’s comfortable, everyday clothes for your little one.

Focus on One Child at A Time

If you have multiple school-age kids, like I do, they probably have different school supply lists anyway.

I prefer to focus on shopping for one child at a time, instead of doing all of our back-to-school shopping in a single day. Because doing it this way, I can budget accordingly.

Ask for Help

You know that saying, “It takes a village?” Well, there were some years we had to rely on our village to help us out with back-to-school shopping. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from family or friends.

You can also sign up with local churches or organizations that are giving away free backpacks with school supplies if you’re really in need.