Q It is that time of the year again – back-to-school, and the school shopping list for my child gets longer every year. Does BBB have any tips on saving money for school items?
A School bells will be ringing before we know it. Now is the time to take advantage of annual back-to-school specials on supplies. Whether you plan to shop at your favorite retail store or in the drawers and closets of your home, Better Business Bureau recommends sticking to a budget to avoid the common overspending on school supplies.
According to the National Retail Federation, parents will be shopping carefully and making special efforts to save on supplies this school year. Thirty-one percent of families say they will do comparative shopping online (compared to 29.8 percent last year), and they will use more coupons (38.7 percent vs. 36.9 percent), and cut back on extracurricular activities or sports (14.3 percent vs. 10.2 percent).
Many retailers offer back-to-school “freebies” to entice shoppers. Coupons, deals and giveaways are always nice, but make sure you actually need the items first. There is no need to spend money on new crayons, colored pencils and notebooks if all it takes is a good sharpening or tearing out a few used pages from the previous year.
BBB recommends considering the following when it comes to back-to-school shopping: