Savings Hacks for Your Backpack
Smart Tips to Cut Costs on Back-to-School Shopping
The start of a new school year brings excitement, but also a potential hit to your budget, but with a little planning and creativity you can cut costs and still get everything your student needs.
Know What You Need
Before hitting the stores or filling your online cart, take inventory of what you already have. Do a quick check of last year’s school supplies and clothes. Items like rulers, scissors, binders, and even lightly used notebooks can be reused. Look through your closets for outgrown clothes and shoes you need to replace.
Prioritize needs versus wants. Work with your kids to sort out what’s essential (school supplies, shoes, backpack) and what’s not (designer brands, accessories). Use your school’s supply list as a foundation for your shopping list. A written plan keeps you focused and less likely to overspend.
Determine how much to budget for everything on your list, including supplies, tech, clothing, shoes, and sports gear. For older kids, consider opening a Town & Country’s Youth Checking Account with Debit Card—a great way to teach financial responsibility.
Make a Shopping Plan
You don’t need to buy a full wardrobe or every supply before the first bell rings. Buy essentials now and plan to pick up the rest during fall sales or holiday markdowns. Kids often change their style preferences or needs once school starts anyway.
Start shopping early to take advantage of rolling sales throughout the summer. Stores like Dollar Tree, Five Below, and Big Lots are goldmines for affordable school essentials. While quality varies, basics like pens, folders, and snacks are often just as good as name-brand versions at a fraction of the cost.
Buying secondhand can be a budget-friendly option. You can score great deals on gently used backpacks, clothing, electronics, and even musical instruments from: Facebook, Marketplace, Poshmark, eBay, Goodwill and local consignment shops. Also, consider organizing a neighborhood supply or clothing swap with other families.
Many schools offer pre-packaged supply kits. They’re convenient—but not always the cheapest. Compare the total cost with buying individual items yourself online or in-store. If you’re time-crunched, it may be worth paying slightly more for the convenience.
Use Technology to Your Advantage
Using your credit card rewards and cashback apps can be a great way to stretch your dollars further by stacking coupons, grabbing discounts, and earning cash back. Sign up for email alerts and check retailers’ apps for flash sales or exclusive coupons. Compare prices with tools like PayPal Honey or Capital One Shopping for extra discounts and coupon codes.
Some other popular shopping apps include: Rakuten, Ibotta, Fetch Rewards, Shopkick and Receipt Hog. Combine these with your store’s loyalty program for extra points or gift cards.
Big retailers like Target, Walmart, and Best Buy offer price-matching—some even after you buy. Keep receipts and track prices with tools like ShopSavvy or Flipp, which scan barcodes and show lower prices elsewhere.
Don’t forget to take advantage of student discounts on tech and software. Many brands offer exclusive pricing for K–12 and college students. Check out:
- Apple and Dell for student pricing on laptops
- Adobe Creative Cloud student plans
- Spotify + Hulu Student Bundle
- Microsoft 365 for Education, which is often free with a school email
Include Kids in the Process
The earlier kids learn about budgeting, prioritizing, and comparison shopping, the better. Let them help with the list or spending limits and turn a chore into a life lesson. Town & Country offers a great tool to teach kids some financial basics called Banzai. Check it out here.
Back-to-school doesn’t have to break your budget. With these strategies, you can stay organized, save big, and start the school year strong. Let the learning begin—without the financial stress!
Have financial questions? Contact us at info@tcfcu.com, call 800-649-3495, or book a free consultation online.
