Simplify Savings During Back-To-School Season
It’s prime time for back-to-school shoppers! That means you’re strategically planning your family’s mastery of this time of retail chaos – choosing which stores to shop on which days, making sure you have clearly outlined goals before entering each, and craftily selecting which children you bring along for the ride (only the essentials, please!).
The good news is: you’re not alone – we’ve collected the BEST Tips for back-to-school world domination shopping to get you and your kids through what can be an apocalypse-like experience with bins of school supplies toppled on the floors (hello, Wal-Mart), whiny children and long (so long!) checkout lines. Not this year! Use our tips and make back-to-school shopping a breeze!
1. Know your tax-free weekend!
Many states observe “tax-free” days right before a new school season on clothing and school supplies. Know your state’s days and be sure to hit the stores on those days!
Speaking of deals on back-to-school clothes, here's a RARE SAVINGS ALERT: Now through 8/21/2016 use this BOGO coupon at Famous Footwear -- PLUS, receive an additional 15% off your entire purchase. The coupon is valid both in-store and online and can be used only once.
2. Focus on the loss leaders.
For savvy savers, this is a no brainer. Every year, stores promote a few essential items (like pens/pencils, paper etc.) with prices so low that they actually lose money on the sale of those products. Watch for these price reductions every week and only buy items when they are listed at the lowest price. If you’re not already shopping the loss leaders – jump in! You should plan to shop around 6 times during the season to exploit the best of the loss leaders.
Note: There’s often a quantity limit to each loss leader item. Pay attention to the fine print.
3. Beat the Crowd! Shop on Sunday and Monday
Lots of weekly sales start on Sunday mornings and the loss leaders items will be the first to run out.
TIP: Don’t just look in the back-to-school aisle of the store – if an item seems to be out of stock, check the office supply aisle too as school supplies in that section are often overlooked.
4. Apps, Apps and More Apps!
There are tons of money-saving apps that will help you maximize your savings with cash back and other rewards. Our favorites right now are:
Tip: Use multiple apps and get cash back more than once from the same purchase!
5. Buy a backpack that has a lifetime warranty.
If you prefer lasting quality in a backpack, instead of saving buy getting a cheap backpack, buy one that has a lifetime warranty. Under Armor, Jansport, Land’s End and L.L. Bean all offer lifetime warranties on their backpacks. Consider it an investment.
6. Get gift cards for up to 35% off face value on Raise.com.
Before leaving the house, do a quick search on Raise.com and purchase a digital gift card for your back-to-school store of the day for up to 35% off its actual value.
7. Bulk up and share costs.
Find 2-3 other families who are trying to stock-up on the same school supplies and buy items in bulk for lower costs. Plus, save any leftovers for next year’s stockpile!
The BEST places to shop in bulk:
Costco (link), Sam’s Club (link), BJ’s: Get the attention of the store manager at these stores to negotiate even deeper discounts when you buy in larger quantities.
+++ Don’t Miss Out! Sam’s Club’s August Savings Celebration event is taking place online and in-store on Saturday, August 6. Members will get insider access to some of the best back-to-school products while supplies last.