Save Big on Back-to-School!

Posted on September 10th, 2025

It’s officially September, your children are preparing themselves for another school year, or their year might have already started for them. When it comes to buying school supplies, from pencils to uniforms to required reading, that back-to-school bill can really add up. Luckily, there are plenty of ways that you can save money when buying your children new school supplies for the new year, whether it’s to start them out, or maybe even replenish their inventory for the next semester. Here are a few tips that can help you out while you prepare them for the new year:

Prepare Before You Shop!

Making a list before going shopping is one of the best ways to make sure that you’re keeping your shopping bill low (as long as you’re sticking to it, of course). Some schools or school districts might provide a list of supplies that students should have for the school year, but not always. Even if you aren’t given a list, you probably still have an idea of what classes they’ll be taking, and there’s always basics that they’ll need (ex. pencils, notebooks, folders, etc.). It can even be helpful to hop online and do a quick search on some basic supply list examples or find some parents’ groups on social media to see what they are planning to get their children for the school year.

 Avoid “One Stop” Shopping

Let’s face it, shopping can be exhausting, especially if you have children that are coming with you and all need or want different things for school. It can be easy to resort to just doing it all in one place but try not to fall into that temptation! There might be two or three stores that are fairly close to each other so you wouldn’t have to drive around too much to get your shopping done.

Take the time to do some price and sale research at a few different stores in your area. You might find that you can save some money by getting pens and pencils at one store, but the notebooks and backpacks at another. Don’t settle for just one store and look around a little to help save some money and ease that stress on your wallet.

Thrifting and Secondhand Finds

Thrifting has been huge in past couple of years when it comes to fashion, but it doesn’t have to stop there! Thrift stores are definitely great for getting items for uniforms like basic button-up shirts, socks, or shoes, but they also have gently used backpacks or lunchboxes that you can buy secondhand. There might even be some small items like magnetic frames or mirrors for your child to decorate their locker.

In addition to thrift stores, it’s worth doing some research online into places that sell secondhand books and refurbished electronics. Your child is likely going to need some electronics as many schools now use tablets or laptops for assignments and other e-learning platforms. There are often plenty of former students or their parents who sell gently used or refurbished electronics like graphing calculators or tablets. There are also plenty of bookstores that will buy or accept donations of old assigned books from alumni and will then sell them to you at a lower price than if you bought them brand-new.

Set Them Up for Success!

As tiring as back-to-school shopping is, there are plenty of ways to help lower that bill. Sometimes, all it takes is a bit of extra research and learning about different sources to get supplies. Parent groups on social media can be a huge help with knowing where the best deals might be, where you can get refurbished electronics, and sometimes might even have some members who are happy to give away gently used items like backpacks or binders for free. Don’t be afraid to dig into your resources so you can make sure your kids have all they need for the school year, without racking up a major bill.