Don't Let Back to School Shopping Bust Your Budget

I know what you're thinking. The kids just got out for the summer. You have several weeks before you have to think about shopping for back to school. But it's never too early to get a start on it. Your wallet and sanity will thank you for it!

Just to remind you, these are the typical back to school expenses:

• Clothes (coats, shoes, etc.)
• School lunch programs
• General school supplies (book bags, notebooks, writing utensils, etc.)
• Fees (athletics, instruments, field trips, etc.)
• School pictures
• After school care

And I'm sure some of you know that if you have more than one child, all of these can get pretty expensive. So what are some things you can do to keep the cost down and your budget in check? Well we asked some of our group members and here's what they had to say.

"I like to put between $20 and $40 out of my check all summer and then I am prepared when the school supplies go on sale." - Kellie M.

"I know people that buy gift cards to places they shop through the year so they can get what they need and not have it be cash all at once. My mom would keep the supply list from my older brother's class and shop really good sales through the year so she would have a lot of the stuff on my next year's list before it was sent home." - Kristine H.

"We always go clothes shopping once school starts. Everything is usually half off." - Sarah P.

"I sell all of their old clothes (that they've grown out of) at a yard sale in the summer and then I put that money toward their new clothes." - Celine H.

"Shop sales!!! I love Office Depot and Staple's price matches 110%, it’s crazy. Name brands only, but still a great way to save." - Nicole H.

"We don’t buy a bunch of new clothes for school. Typically, we keep the kids in clothes that fit and are good condition, so come school time we only maybe need to get a few items. We also stock up on school supplies throughout the year whenever they are on sale. This helps us have supplies for home or school when we need them and we always get them for the cheapest price possible. Most years we reuse backpacks unless they break." - Mandy M.

There you have it. This is great advice from people who already know how to get the most bang for their buck. So don't dawdle; get started today!