Even though I’m not a student anymore, I still get really excited about back to school shopping. When I was a kid, it was the one time of year that I got a ton of new supplies that I could organize, decorate and shove into my backpack. It was awesome. These days, I still get a little thrill every time I have to buy a new folder or binder or pens. It takes me back to when Mom, Brother and I would head out to the Oscars Drug store and get to check all the items off our classroom lists. My mom was the original Super Saver and when it came to school supplies she was a master of savings.
Here’s some tips I learned from her over the years and that you can use for your back to school shopping:
- Buy the plain colored folders instead of the one with cartoon characters. Those cartoons won’t be cool in a few months anyways. Plus, if you get the plain ones, then there is more room for creativity and you can encourage your kids to decorate their own folders.
- Re-use colored pencils. I know they look dingy and boring, but a quick coat of paint and sharpening them makes them good as new.
- Do you have a ton of crayons? Melt them down and turn them into fun shapes! It is a little more work, but it means your kids will have the coolest crayons in the classroom
- Same as the folders, get the plain binders with the plastic covering. Then your kids can change out what they want their binder to look like throughout the year. Plus, if they don’t destroy them, then you can use them again next year!
- Instead of buying the top brand Elmer’s Glue, get the generic brand. It will hold macaroni on paper and keep a couple extra bucks in your wallet.
- Finally, buy in bulk! You know every year you will need paper, so why not buy a lot of it?
What do you do to cut back on school supplies costs? Any helpful tips?
