Save Big Bucks On Back To School Shopping This Year

Summer is almost over and it is time to start thinking about back to school shopping and all the hype that surrounds it. Believe it or not your children will survive the entire school year without the most popular shoes and brand new wardrobe. I stress to my kids constantly that being cool has nothing to do with what you wear, when I was growing up it was a huge deal and I was bullied constantly. Times have changed and young people are much more accepting and understanding. I have saved hundreds of dollars each year on back to school shopping using these great tips!

Buy Used

Used clothing is equally as good as brand new and when you shop at places like Value Village you can get great brand name clothing for a much more reasonable price. There are a number of other second hand stores that carry some great finds as well. Let's not forget the Facebook marketplace for used clothing as well. As other peoples kids grow they sell their items on Facebook to make some cash for stuff that fits, it is a great money saving system to get involved in.

Sign Up To Cashback Sites

There are a great number of sites that help you save money if you choose to buy brand new items for your kids this year. Many stores are going to be having some massive sales for the back to school season and if you take advantage of the sales you might as well get money back as well. I like to use the popular site Rakutan which used to be known as Ebates! I also like to get cash back using Swagbucks which has a number of other outlets to earn cash as well. The great thing about Swagbucks is you can install a button to your computer and any site you visit to shop on will automatically detect that your setup for cashback and you just click it to activate your cashback rewards! You can install the button here! Another great way to earn cash back is to sign up for Checkout 51 an app that pays you for products you buy when you just take a photo of your receipt and send it to them!

Start A Hand Me Down System With Friends

Kids grow constantly and your not the only one who is struggling to keep up with the clothing demands. It can cost an arm and a leg to keep your kids wearing some decent clothing and  everyone knows it. Ask your friends if they would like some of your kids outgrown clothes in exchange for theirs, of course this only works if they have kids older or larger than yours and you both have boys or girls but either way there has to be some of your friends you can start this system with. This can save you a ton in the long run and you will be keeping your clothes being used by someone you know and care about.

Reuse Last Years Items

Your kids do not need new backpacks and shoes every year. I choose to not buy certain characters or fads when buying backpacks or shoes because next year they may not be popular and if they are in good condition you will not be able to use them as your kids have outgrown the characters. Stick to the basic colours and patterns that you know will never go out of style and they can be used for years to come.

No matter what your financial situation is or what your shopping habits are it is always a good idea to remind your kids that material items are not the most important thing in the world and that saving money for things that truly matter is a much better idea. Follow me on Pinterest for more great money saving tips and tricks!

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