The Frugal Teacher: How to save on school supplies

School starts soon, so it’s that time of year when everyone needs to buy school supplies. And don’t forget about Florida’s Back-to-School sales tax holiday, which will end Aug. 31.

You won’t have to pay sales tax on clothes, shoes, backpacks or most school supplies. There are, however, some limits to be aware of, such as clothing or shoes can’t cost more than $100 per item and the school supplies limit is $50 per item. (So, no, your child can’t get those $200 designer sneakers “for gym class.” Tragic.)

Take advantage of the money you can save from not paying sales tax and try to pair that up with the amazing deals going on at your local stores. Here are some tips to help you save on school supplies:

Get the list

Most schools have a school supply list by grade level that you can get at the front office or on its Facebook page. Walmart usually has the lists as well, but sometimes they run out of copies because nothing says “back to school” like a scavenger hunt.

Teachers create the list so you know exactly what to buy. And you can always double-check with your child’s teacher at open house or meet the teacher events to be sure you don’t buy unnecessary supplies. Every teacher I asked said that not every item on the school list was necessary, so there’s no need to spend money on items that aren’t truly needed (like the 12-pack of glitter gel pens that will vanish into the abyss of their backpack by week two).

Make a budget

Set limits on how much you plan to spend on back-to-school essentials. If your child will be with you when you shop, share your budget with them.

When I was growing up, we were given a set amount to spend on school supplies, clothes and shoes. If we wanted to spend more, we had to pay the difference out of our own money—cue the dramatic sighs.

Set limits with your kids to help them learn about budgeting and be firm with those limits when shopping. You could even make it a challenge and allow your child to keep any money that’s left over after buying everything they need. Nothing motivates like the promise of shopping money—especially if they think they can blow it on candy.

Shop early

Don’t wait until the last minute. Shop before school starts, if at all possible. If you really want to save money, shop for non-clothing items without your kids. It can be hard for children to resist those adorable notebooks and folders with the puppies on them or the scented markers. (Because apparently, school supplies need to smell like strawberries now?) However, those cutesy items won’t be nearly as cheap as the plain notebooks, folders and markers.

For example, right now Walmart has plain spiral notebooks for only .35 cents and the ones with different designs on them are $3.24 each. The same was true for just about every school supply item I checked.

Go with what’s on sale to save the most money and don’t be tempted to spend more on fancy school supplies—unless your child’s notebook is going to walk itself to class and take notes for them.

Shop around

Walmart has amazing deals on folders, notebooks, glue sticks, crayons, etc., and you should definitely stock up any time the price of school supplies goes below $1. However, don’t forget about stores like Dollar Tree and Dollar General, where you can find sales, too. Even grocery stores can have deals on school supplies, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye out to find the best deals. (Yes, your shopping cart can have both cereal and Elmer’s glue. That’s called balance.)

Reuse what you already have

Does your child really need a new lunch box? Can that backpack make it another school year? Ask yourself if your child really needs the item or if the one from last year will do. You could always have your child start out the school year with last year’s backpack and/or lunch box and see how long it lasts. If it survives October, it’s a win. Bonus points if it still smells normal.

Don’t forget to check prices online

Amazon has some really good back-to-school deals. This frugal teacher was able to find a backpack with good reviews for only $22 compared to $45 if I would’ve bought the one I found in Target. I didn’t buy it, though, because my son has already agreed that his backpack is just fine and can last another school year. Thank you, frugal son!

Saving on school supplies is pretty easy as long as you plan ahead. Catch the sales while you can and try to buy everything before Aug. 31 so you don’t have to pay sales tax. Get the list from your child’s school or teacher, make a budget, shop early and shop around, double-check prices online and shop without the kids, if you can. Here’s to another amazing school year!

Visit frugalteacherlife.com for more money-saving ideas.