Whether you homeschool or have little ones going back to school you will definitely want to take advantage of some of the great Back To School Savings right now.  There are a few ways to help ease the budget a little when going Back To School Shopping.

Ten Ways To Save Money On Back To School

Make a List

Grab a list of supplies needed for your kiddos for the year and work from it.  You will spend much less money if you stick to the list and avoid impulse buying.  This also goes for Back To School Clothing.  Make notes of anything you’ll need to buy for the upcoming year.

Set a Budget

Before you go shopping sit down and determine how much money you have to spend on Back To School.  Make allowances for clothing, school supplies, sports items, and anything else you might need.  Prioritize your list items so that necessities are taken care of first.  This will help you stick to your budget and avoid overspending.

Shop Your Home First

Look through closets and cabinets, and cross off list items as you find them available.  This is also a great time to purge out and donate  unwanted items.

Get a Sunday Paper

Even though it’s still mid-summer Back To School is what the sales are all about right now.  Look through the Sunday paper to find the best deals in your area.  Don’t want to hit several stores that week? That’s ok…Just take the ads to Walmart or Target for a price match.

Take the kids with you

This may sound counter productive to saving money since kids tend to ask for things.  However, If you have older children that you’ll be buying clothing for it’s great to get them involved.  Show them the budget and the list, and make sure they know that you’ll be sticking to it.  It’s actually a great learning opportunity and can avoid trips back to the store due to items not fitting, not liked, etc.

Sign up for E-mail lists at your favorite stores

You may want to create a separate email address just for this.  If you have certain stores you love to shop for Back To School you should sign up for their e-mail newsletters.  Many companies will send advance notice of sales as well as COUPONS!  Many stores offer discounts just for signing up!

You can sign up for email updates from Old Navy, GAP, PiperLime,  Gymboree, Kohl’s, Express,  Crocs, UGG, Aeropostale,  Burlington Coat Factory, Belk’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Stock up on Lunch Items

School lunches are often a large expense during Back To School.  Don’t let it hit you in one fell swoop.  Stock up on items as they are on sale throughout the summer.  Many items have a long shelf life and/or can be frozen like lunch meat.  Continue this trend throughout the year so that you never run out & have to pay full price for items you’re out of.

Shop Online

Some of the best Back To School deals around can be found and delivered straight to your door.  Be sure to check for online coupon codes for the best coupons & deals before you shop.

Also, don’t forget the Amazon Back To School section for some AMAZING Back To School Deals.

Make the Best of  Tax Free Weekend

You can definitely save more money by shopping the best sales a little at a time, but if you have to purchase a laptop, computer or another Big Ticket Item then Tax Free weekend may be the best time.  You can still use coupons during tax-free weekend so just make sure you’re maxing out your savings and truly getting the best deal.

Avoid the Tax Free Weekend Pitfall by making the most of your savings.  Don’t just go shopping because it’s tax free weekend.  Have a purpose, a goal and, a list in order to save the most money.

Follow your Favorite Deal Bloggers for Hot Deals on Back to School

I will also alert you to the best Back to School Deals and coupons as they come up. Sign up for my Email updates to get a daily update or Follow iGoBOGO on Facebook to get them first.

This post is featured on Top Ten Tuesday and Works for Me Wednesday!

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