(ARA) – This back-to-school season promises to be costlier than ever for many American families. Not only will they spend more for personal supplies for their children, families are also being asked to help school districts battle budget shortfalls by supplying basics like toilet paper and trash bags.
A recent survey by the National Retail Federation indicates that Americans are expected to spend more than $55 billion on school supplies this year, up from $47 billion last year. Back-to-school season can become expensive for families who do not plan well.
Parents should know that they have many options to save money when purchasing school supplies this year. If they research thoroughly, parents may also find ways to make their hard-earned money go twice as far this school season.
Here are a few things to consider:
Know what to purchase. Unless parents have already received a list of school supplies from teachers letting them know exactly what their children will need this school year, the best idea is to wait until the first week of school to purchase supplies.
“Most parents should receive that list within the first few days of class,” says Suzanne Poole, executive vice president of retail sales strategy and distribution for TD Bank. “If purchases are made before reviewing the list, parents may buy materials their kids won’t need and also fail to purchase supplies that teachers require.”
Wait for discounts and reuse last year’s leftovers. Before making any purchases, parents should look through leftover school supplies from the previous school year to see if there are paper, pencils, pens and other class materials their children can use for the first few weeks of school. For example, if there is unused, clean paper in notepads, parents should rip those sheets out and have their kids use that paper during the first weeks of class. This way, families can make sure they’re using all the paper and materials they already have, while doing their part to protect the environment and their wallets.
“By waiting to purchase supplies, parents also can take advantage of the significant discounts retailers will be applying to school supplies a few weeks into the academic year,” Poole says. “These decisions can also be used to teach kids a few lessons about saving and the importance of learning to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.”
Use the Web. Parents are increasingly becoming active social media users and should use their Twitter and Facebook accounts to find deals they can take advantage of.
A search of the phrase “back-to-school discounts” on Twitter will garner hundreds of results including the Twitter accounts of retailers who continually update their followers on current discounts.
Parents also can find coupons for back-to-school supplies on websites like RetailMeNot.com, CouponMountain.com, Coupons.com and CouponCabin.com. These sites have a special back-to-school section.
Make funds allocated for school supplies work twice as hard. Along with rent or mortgage payments, utilities and other fixed costs, the purchase of school supplies is something that must be done at the start of every school year and, at times, after the winter break. By using a debit card that earns reward points every time it’s used for a credit transaction instead of debit, parents can collect enough points to earn valuable rewards.
Poole notes the TD Bank Visa Debit Card as an example.
Among its banking products and services,TD Bank offers new checking account customers an instant-issue debit card immediately upon opening an account at one of the bank’s 1,100 locations. TD customers can then register their new debit card for the Visa Extras reward program through TD Bank’s website and begin making credit transactions with the card by signing receipts instead of entering their pin. Customers immediately begin collecting points, which they can use to choose valuable rewards from more than 150 brands.
Spending for school supplies may in fact go up this year, but these tips can help parents save significantly and contribute less of their money to the $55 billion American families are expected to spend.
