Millions of parents flock to local stores to buy school supplies. This annual ritual is very different from what it has been in the past. The rising cost of gasoline, food, and school supplies is digging deeper into the family budget. What must parents do to make ends meet? It seems that parents will have to research more hours to find the same discounts on clothing and school supplies that they were able to find last year.
To take advantage of discounts, parents are learning to work together. Some parents send a friend to a store while visiting another store. Parents go where prices are cheapest. Although back-to-school shopping is an annual activity, parents also don’t inventory everything they already have. This is especially true when a parent waits until the last minute to do their shopping back to school. A parent can save hundreds of dollars just by checking the places in their home where school supplies were stored last year.
Parents can get caught by the discount sign in the store window. The sale sign is nice and large to attract customers to the store. A store may offer three packages of pens for $ 3.00. Another store might offer five packages of pens for $ 3.00. If you go to the same store every year, it can help to shop around to get the best buy.
The beginning of school is not the best time to get electronic gifts like computers. It may be best to wait a few weeks after your child has started school. Things like iPods and CD players will be priced lower after the big rush is over. Don’t let the pressure of going back to school force you to make a purchase that puts you in more debt. When you finally decide to make an electronics purchase, look for rebates and discounts on the products. Some discounts are immediate, while others must be mailed to corporate headquarters.
Some parents get caught up in the rush to go back to school. The idea of having the kids out and about is a reward for a crazy summer. Don’t let your rush to buy school supplies put you further into debt. Taking out the credit card can add 24 percent to your purchase. Do your best to pay for everything in cash. In fact, it might be a good idea to create a bank account in which to save money for the back-to-school purchases you will be making next year.
Just because there are crowds of people in a particular store does not mean that it is offering the best discount. It can be an indication that they are great advertisers. When making purchases, it is best to go slowly. Talk to your friends who are shopping, they can help you identify the best places to shop. Parents, you can get your students back to school and avoid breaking your bank account by shopping smart. Parents can make every discount count by remembering to start back-to-school shopping early.