Back to School

It's that time of year again...back to school time.  This is the first year in our house that all of my children will be attending school every day.  It is a very sad time for me, but an exciting time for my son Adam as he starts UPK this year!  Thankfully, he will be home with me everyday at lunch time, so I am not totally heartbroken by the fact that he is growing up! 

Getting ready for school can be expensive, especially when you have a big family like mine.  I have four kids that I have to prepare for the coming year and those costs can add up quickly!  Here are some of the tips that I can offer to keep your costs down, while supplying your little ones with everything that they need for school.

1.)  Look for the sales.
      Yep, that means checking the flyers and going where you see the majority of your needs for the least amount of cost.  For me this is Walmart.  Luckily, for us, the school is supplying a lot of the school supplies this year.  This is a first for us.  I am still responsible for tissues, pencils, a spiral notebook, and some binders, but overall it is a very light list!  I am not a Walmart sponsor, in fact, I try to avoid Walmart whenever I can, but it is convenient and they have everything I need at a very low price. 

2.)  Shop at consignment or second hand shops.
      Not only does shopping at these establishment help the local economy, but it is a great way to find brand name clothing at a considerably lower price.  I can not tell you how many times I have been able to find brands like Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, and Nike in a second hand store for a fraction of what it costs retail.  I am very picky when shopping for clothes in these establishments, I look them over for stains, wear and tear (especially boy clothes!), and I check all of the zippers and buttons.  I have had a lot of success shopping this way!  I was able to clothe all of my children for the summer (shorts, shirts, sundresses, and pajamas) for $40.  ALL OF THEIR CLOTHES FOR $40!  I do the same thing for school clothes. 

3.)  Reuse whatever you can.
      All of my children needed a 1 1/2 binder for school last year.  I bought them all new ones.  When school ended, 2 of the 3 children brought their binders home and they are in good used condition.  They will be reusing them this year.  There is no need to purchase something new when we have what they need right here at home.  I have plans to reuse all of the pencil boxes and art smocks again this year as well.  Check out what your kids brought home from school in June and reuse them as needed.  This is actually the 3rd year in a row that my son Ethan is using his lunch box and his backpack. 

4.) Look for sales on snacks and juice boxes and then stock up!
     I have a BJ's membership that I use for school lunches.  I know what you might be thinking...I thought she made everything from scratch!  Well, I do, most of the time.  I like to make my own trail mix, granola bars, cookies, and such from scratch.  However, I like some items in their lunch that I purchase.  They include, cheese sticks, yogurt sticks, pretzels, applesauce and fruit cups, and juice boxes (Roaring Waters to be exact).  With a coupon, these items can be very inexpensive at BJ's.  If I don't have a coupon and they are available at Aldi I will buy them there.  In addition to these lunch items, BJ's often has a coupon for buy 1 peanut butter get the jelly free this time of year.  I usually purchase 3 of these deals and then I have enough peanut butter to get us through the entire school year. 

Raising kids can be very expensive, but I find that if I follow these tips, I am saving so much time and money! 

What are some things that you do to save money?  Did you find this article helpful? 

I hope that you will share some of your ideas with us!

Blessings to all!