Filling up a backpack shouldn’t empty a wallet.
You want to provide quality back-to-school clothing and materials to your children. But unfortunately, it will soon be outgrown – in terms of both size and style. Here are a few strategies for meeting your children’s needs in the upcoming school year, while also helping out your local community in a variety of ways:
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Start with research: There’s no end to back-to-school deals. Look up coupons for chain stores to see if they have any current deals or upcoming sales, and keep an eye out for sales in local shops as well to support local business.
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Buy used rather than new: Hit up thrift stores for back-to-school clothes and materials. You’ll be able to exponentially increase the amount you can buy for each dollar, plus shopping at thrift stores like Goodwill provides local jobs! Even larger items such as dorm furniture or appliances can be found at thrift stores in good condition.
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Wait until after the first day: Teachers generally supply a syllabus or list of required materials for the year. Go shopping once you receive this list, as you may already have some of the needed supplies, or you might not need as much as you thought. Plus, the deals will keep increasing as stores want to sell out of their back-to-school stock.
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Buy reusable lunch items: This step costs more up front, but saves money in the long run rather than continuing to supply plastic or disposable items in your children’s lunches. Plus, it keeps plastic items out of landfills.
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Check online: For many college students, buying books can be an expensive ordeal. Luckily, there are plenty of websites that offer books at lower prices. If you don’t see a need to keep the textbook after the semester or quarter is over, renting textbooks can save a significant sum.
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Follow your favorite stores: Many stores will notify loyal followers with deals and reward them with special offers. Find and follow them on social media to get the inside scoop.