6 Ways To Save on Back-to-School Shopping Without Too Much Stress, According to Experts

August is already almost mid-way through and the kids are gearing up to go back to school. While you may be psyched to get them back in their educational routine, you’re likely less than thrilled at the onus of having to go buy them a bunch of stuff that they actually need.

Back-to-school shopping has become less budget-friendly and more absurdly expensive. A recent survey from LendingTree found that 31% of back-to-school shoppers said they’re unable to afford school supplies this year, up from 26% in 2023.

There’s no doubt that you can spend a ton on back-to-school essentials, but there’s also no doubt that there are plenty of ways to save in this department. Here’s what shopping and budgeting experts recommend.

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Take Inventory

Before you rush out to buy your kids things, take a good look around your entire home (especially your kids’ rooms). You may already have what you intend to shop for.

“It may seem obvious, but when I have talked to parents about this, they admit to shopping before going through their kids’ supplies and having kids try on their clothes,” said Trae Bodge, smart shopping expert at TrueTrae.com. “You probably have more on hand than you think and the last thing you want to do is buy what you don’t need.”

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Buy in Bulk

You probably know by now that buying in bulk is an effective way to trim grocery costs. This approach can also save you tons on certain back-to-school items.

“If you have a warehouse club membership and the room to store excess product, it may be worth buying select school supplies in bulk,” said Julie Ramhold, senior editor and consumer expert at DealNews. “That way you can ensure you have plenty of notepads, pens and pencils, among other items, to get you through the whole school year without having to deal with a last-minute supply run before winter break or, worse, right after during the spring back to school period.”

If space is a concern, you can go in on bulk buys with other parents.

Buy Generic

Another supermarket shopping hack you probably know: buying generic. This approach also works for back-to-school shopping.

“In many cases you can get store brand items from places like Target, Walmart or Staples for much less than the big brands,” Ramhold said. “If you have a kid that routinely loses pens, for instance, it’s worth grabbing a box of the store brand from your favorite big-box store or even Amazon. Then when they need new pens a month into the school year, you (theoretically) won’t be as stressed by them losing those as if they’d lost the much more expensive, name-brand varieties.”

Shop with Discounted or Even Free Gift Cards

You can buy discount gift cards through gift card resale sites such as GiftCardGranny and CardCash and use them to cover back-to-school buys (or most any other buy).

“For example, you can save up to 14.9% off GAP gift cards, 12% off at Cotton On clothing store and up to 6.7% off Apple Store gift cards,” said Andrea Woroch, a budgeting expert.

You can also earn free gift cards you can apply on back-to-school school shopping by using a free rewards app like Fetch.

“Just snap photos of your receipts to earn points towards gift cards to stores like Target, Amazon and Dick’s Sporting Goods to help pay for that splurge that wasn’t in your budget, like the Nike sneakers your child is begging for,” Woroch said.

Wait for Sales To Wind Down on Select Items

Though you may want to get all of our back-to-school shopping out of the way by doing it all in one weekend, it’s smart to hold off on some discounted items and score even better prices in a few weeks, as the clock winds down.

“For instance, if your kids can make do with their current backpacks and lunchboxes, wait until retailers start trying to push those items out the door during Labor Day sales and right after,” Ramhold said. “At that point you can pick up new gear for much less than what you’ll spend during the height of back-to-school shopping.”

Ask for Help If You Need It

If you are struggling to get by and cannot comfortably cover the costs associated with back to school, reach out to organizations that provide free supplies to families in need.

“Begin by first reaching out to your local school’s administration to find out if they offer free supplies or school clothing swaps or uniform exchanges,” Woroch said. “Otherwise, review this list of resources for help.

Woroch added that the Kids In Need Foundation offers free supplies to low income families and even free backpack programs. The Boys and Girls Club works with stores across the country to gather and distribute free supplies to families in need, which you can learn more about through your local chapter. Additionally United Way hosts back to school drives to provide for families in need.

Use This as a Teachable Moment for Kids

Beyond these six ways to save, there’s a valuable experience to be had here. Use back-to-school shopping with your children (if they’re old enough) to teach them about mindful buying. Encourage them to make their own responsible financial choices as shoppers on a budget.

“For teens and tweens, I strongly recommend giving them a gift card to shop for themselves,” Bodge said. “They will be much more mindful of what they buy with ‘their’ money versus yours and they’ll learn quickly about how pricey items can impact their budget.”

To make this teaching time fun, Bodge likes to give a personalized Visa or Mastercard with the Build-a-Card service from GiftCardGranny.

“You can upload a fun photo and personalized message and the cards ship within one to two days,” Bodge said. “Your kids will have a blast shopping with their personalized card and they’ll learn so much about wants versus needs and staying on budget along the way.”

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