The following is a guest post from Melea Johnson.
Follow these four tips to really help you save on back-to-school items.
Tip #1: Instead of running around to multiple stores to find the best deals, price match all of those weekly ads at Walmart. They will allow you to grab those same great prices from competing stores at your Walmart location. It will save you time, money and your sanity! Just bring the ad with you or show it on your phone. Head to register and let the cashier know that you need to Price Match a few items.
Tip #2: If you know your children’s sizes, take some time to shop for Back-to-School clothing online. A lot of the children’s clothing stores like The Children’s Place, Justice, Crazy 8 and Gymboree have been offering FREE Shipping Sitewide. That stacked with their other percentage off promotions make for some crazy deals and you won’t have to leave your house or drag the kids along with you. (Most offer free in-store exchanges as well. So if you do grab the wrong size, you can easily exchange it in-store.)
Tip #3: Watch a money-saving website, forum or blog to search for the best deals for Back-to-School for you! (Shameless plug here… but I do post every single deal that pops up for Back-to-School items like Backpacks, School Supplies and more. I even have a category dedicated exactly for that: http://freebies2deals.
Tip #4: Know your “BUY” or “Stock-Up” Prices for popular back to school items. Here are some prices to note and watch for:
- Never pay more than $.25- $.50 a box for Crayola Crayons. (You can get them even cheaper with a coupon, in-store offer or mobile app discount)
- Never pay more than $.02 for 2-Pocket Folders
- Never pay more than $.01 for 1 Subject Notebooks
- Never pay more than $.25 per Sharpie Marker
- Never pay more than $10-$12 for a Backpack (even the Character ones). For the teens, you might spend more if they have their eye on a particular style or backpack. So just stay under $30! Office Max will even do a FREE Backpack promotion each year. (Last year it was $.01) You will pay for the backpack you choose and get back the full amount in MaxPerks Rewards. It’s a rewards check you can use to purchase anything else at Office Max.
Those are the ground rules. Hopefully it gives you a little direction on what to be looking for and what deals to pick up for Back-to-School!
