For some of you school is already starting and others it will come soon. If you have delayed your back to school shopping and need to get going quickly, don’t forget that a little planning can go a long way in not breaking the bank. Here a few tips to keep your budget in line and prevent a few battles between children and parents:
- Take an inventory of the school supplies your child brought home last year and look at the schools website to see what they need for this year. Some items may have dropped off the school list and won’t be needed this year. Others your child may have used rarely – like colored pencils.
- Work with your children to take an inventory of the clothing they have. Make sure they try things on too. The jeans from last year may be too short, but all their t-shirts may still fit fine. After my teen-age daughter did an inventory of her clothing, she decided that if she could get a new pair of shoes and one or two new tops, she would wait until later to get new clothing. She typically wears Capri pants to school until it gets cool anyway.
- Set a budget of what you can afford to spend and prioritize the items on it. You will likely not spend the same amount on all of your children; your teen son may need to have the special calculator, while your youngest could care less about new clothing. If it fits and isn’t stained, they are happy. Encourage the teen that needs the calculator to do some online research before shopping – who has it the cheapest, closest to your home, or gives a percent off coupon. Pay for as many of your purchases with cash as possible so the interest doesn’t kill your future budget.
- For older children you may want to give them an amount of money for clothing and let them choose how to use it. Make sure they know that they won’t be getting more right away either, so if they spend it all on an expensive pair of jeans, that will be all they get. This can be a great experience to learn budgeting. (Remember that they may choose to purchase things that wouldn’t be your first choice. If you have guidelines you want set in place for purchases, make sure you state them up front. For example, you have to get at least one pair of jeans and one pair of athletic shoes.
- Discuss with teens if they want to take some of the items they have but aren’t wearing to a resale shop. This can be a way to increase spending power with additional money coming in. While at the resale or consignment shop, take a look around- you may find clothing to fit your needs and budget.
- Make sure both shoes get tried on for fit and comfort before buying. Rarely do both shoes feel the same on your feet. New shoes that rub or only fit for a month can break your budget.
Whether your try something mentioned above or another idea to save a little money on school supplies, we hope your family is ready to go and you still have some money left in the piggy bank.
- Sources:
Family Fundamentals: Budget for basics for back-to-school items (July 2013), Ohio State University Extension, Filipic & Hill, http://extension.osu.edu/news-releases/archives/2013/July/family-fundamentals-budget-for-basics-for-back-to-school-items-july-2013.
- eXtension, A Dozen Ways to Stretch Your Back-to-School Budget,
http://www.extension.org/pages/29760/a-dozen-ways-to-stretch-your-back-to-school-budget#.Uf-nGpLVApg.
- Writer: Lisa Barlage, Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Ross County/Ohio Valley EERA, barlage.7@osu.edu
Reviewer: Michelle Treber, Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Pickaway County/Heart of Ohio EERA, treber.1@osu.edu
