10 Back-to-School Shopping Tips for Moms

The end of summer is quickly approaching; you may now find yourself scrambling for school supplies, clothes, and food. The school year is almost here! Are you ready for Back-to-School shopping?

I always dreaded back-to-school shopping because of the crowds and the long lines. It was an ordeal for me to be able to get my kids back into school with all that I needed. This year, I’ve got back-to-school back in control because I’ve learned a few back-to-school shopping tips for moms. Hopefully, you find these back-to-school shopping tips helpful as you go back to school this year!

Back To School Tips

1. Find the supply list from each grade- Get your kids back into school this year with all the supplies he or she needs by finding the supply lists from each grade. Consider printing off the supply list to help you keep track of what supplies your child needs.

Tip: Chances are the school lists are already at your local store, or they can be found on the school website.

Here’s a quick list of the basic school supplies for your kids:

• Backpacks (find out which types are NOT allowed at school)
• Colored pencils
• Crayons
• Glue or glue sticks
• Highlighters (mostly used in high school)
• Markers
• Pencil box or pouch
• Pencil sharpener (I recommend a few of these)
• Scissors (make sure which type they are)
• Three-ring binder (most elementary students need the smaller one, while high school may need larger)

2.  Grab up all those coupons- Check your local stores for those in-store ads, don’t forget the store flyers. Other places to find coupons will be your Sunday paper with all those coupon inserts magazines and going online to coupon sites. Don’t forget to check with your family and friends in case they don’t use their coupons, another great place to look is your local library.

3.  Compare prices–  Get all your ad papers and see which store has the best to offer on the items you want most. Write up a list and stick to it. Go on the internet and find which stores have the best back-to-school supplies list if you can’t find the ads in the paper (or you accidentally threw them away).  

4. Create a shopping list- This will make it easy back to remember what you need before you head out to the crowded stores to shop. Include your kids’ names so you don’t forget who you are shopping for, clothing sizes, backpacks they need or are NOT allowed to have, lunch kits or other accessories teachers may require.

5.  Deals, deals, deals–  Let your money stretch. Find the stores that offer you the best deals. BOGO, 50% off, $5 off when you spend, fill a bag, etc. For those looking to save money and get a great lunch kit, look for deals that allow you to have a free lunch kit with the purchase of other items like backpacks.

Tip: Start back to school shopping early. This gives you more time to purchase everything you need and not have to rush back to school when it’s due with little time before classes start and no Amazon shipping (some things can take 3 days to arrive).

6.  Rebates– Go out and make sure what companies have rebates going on.  Sites like Retailmenot.com, fatwallet.com, ebates.com, and many others.

7. Organize backpacks-  Once you get home start putting all the items for each child in their backpacks. This keeps you organized and you’ll have more space in the house. Remember to use a sharpie when writing your younger child’s name on school items so it doesn’t come off.

8. Read clothing labels not the hangers-   Avoid back to school shopping for clothes that are baggy or too small, and choose clothes that fit right from the start. I learned a valuable back-to-school lesson when I grabbed a shirt that was on a hanger that said the right size but the actual shirt was 2 sizes small.

I hope these back-to-school shopping tips for moms help you as you prepare your children for back to school this year! Moms – Before you head out to shop, have a list of what you need on hand and where you plan to go. Coupons, for instance, make those deals even sweeter. What other suggestions do you have? Are you done with back-to-school shopping? How much do you have left?