7 Back-to-School Shopping Tips to Spend Less

The back-to-school season is upon us, but high prices are hindering what parents can afford to buy and how they shop.

In fact, the National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates that families will spend $875 on school supplies, clothing, electronics and other essentials. Meanwhile, another survey from Deloitte says many households are planning to cut back in other ways such as delaying major household purchases in order to afford back-to-school needs.

The good news is that there are ways you can stretch your budget and get more bang out of your back-to-school spending. Here are 7 simple ways to get your child ready for a successful school year without sacrificing.

1. Shop secondhand.

Before you buy anything new, do some research to see if you can find it a gently-used option for less. For example, save up to 90 percent off clothing and uniforms at sites KidiZen, up to 75 percent off gently-used backpacks and lunch totes at Facebook Marketplace, and up to 70 percent off sporting goods at SwapMeSports. Take the kids to a consignment shop and you’ll find a lot of on-trend brands. Platos Closet and Once Upon a Child are both good options. Check their sites for store locations in NJ and follow them on Instagram for alerts on new merch. Meanwhile, some traditional clothing brands also offer secondhand options right on their site such as Hanna Andersson Preloved and Athleta Girls Preloved.

2. Go with refurbished gadgets.

The NRF estimates families will dish out over $300 on school gadgets, but you can cut this cost by opting for a certified-refurbished model for tablets and laptops, smartphones, wireless headphones, calculators, printers and more. Spend time reading details to understand why the item was refurbished in the first place and buy from a reputable store that offers a warranty like Amazon Renewed. For example, you can buy a refurbished iPad Mini 4 128 GB for $134. In comparison, a brand new model will run you over $500 from most retailers.

3. Strategize for bulk savings.

Bulk packages of school supply basics offer a lower price per unit, but buying in bulk for most families doesn’t make sense because you likely don’t need 30 glue sticks or a pack of 50 pencils for just one or two kids. However, you can benefit from these discounted bundles by teaming up with other parents to split bulk supply sets.

4. Opt for store brands.

The fastest way to save on school supplies and even some basic clothing and uniform items is to simply stick with the store brand options which cost 30 to 50 percnet less than name-brand alternatives.

For example, Target’s Up and Up 1 subject-wide ruled notebook is 99 cents. The same style from Five Star is $2 more at $2.99. That’s about a 67 percent price difference. Meanwhile, Walmart’s Wonder Nation Uniform Polo shirt is priced at $5 each. At GAP though, you will pay about $20 for a similar uniform polo shirt.

5. Layer the savings with coupons and cashback.

You can often stack coupons on sale items to save even more. Begin by signing up for a store newsletter or mobile alert to get a new user coupon for up to 25 percent off. Otherwise, go to a deal aggregator like CouponCabin.com to find coupon codes and earn cash back for thousands of online retailers. For example, you can get 40 percent off with 2.8 percent cash back at Land’s End, 50 percent off with 2 percent cash back at Old Navy and $20 off $100 with 1.5 percent cash back at Office Depot.

You can even turn receipts into cash back—just snap a picture of your receipts using a free rewards app like Fetch to earn points good towards gifts cards to stores like Target, Walmart, Amazon and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Let those points accumulate and apply your free gift card toward that splurge school item that isn’t in your budget.

Lastly, consider signing up for a new credit card to earn free cash in the form of a sign-up bonus. For example, the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card offers a one-time $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 within 3 months. Compare cash-back cards and sign-up offers at CardRates.com.

6. Snag bundle sets from warehouse stores.

Bundle packs from warehouse stores offer a better value per item and can be helpful if you have more than one kid going to school. For example, here’s a 2-pack of the Ello 14-ounce Stainless Steel Emma Water Bottle for $16.98 at Sam’s Club. At Target, the same water bottle is $12.79 (on sale!) for just one. And, you can pick up a set of 2 Bentgo Kid Bento Lunch Boxes for $32 at Sam’s Club. Just one of these are $29.99 at Target and other stores.

7. Time your purchase right.

Knowing when to shop during the week can lead to bigger discounts. For example, JCPenney says reward members can get an extra 30 percent off every Thursday through August 29 and GAP and OLD Navy routinely roll out bigger coupon savings midweek on Wednesdays.

Finally, consider waiting to buy certain goods until after school starts—fall clothing goes on sale in October and you can find a bigger selection of electronic savings on Black Friday.

Andrea Woroch is a nationally-recognized consumer-savings expert, writer and frequent on-air contributor who is passionate about helping families find simple ways to spend less and save more. Andrea has appeared on popular shows like Today, Good Morning America and NBC Nightly News. Her advice and articles have been featured in the New York Times, Time, Money, Forbes and Real Simple.

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