5 School supply shopping tips

Some people love it and some people loathe it! Whichever camp you belong to, here is a guide to making the most of your money.

1. Shop at home - Some supplies are still in good shape from a previous year. Check pens and markers and clean out old binders.

2. Buy quality - Skip the dollar stores for certain items. Cheap pencils break and will need replacing and flimsy binders might not make it to the winter break. If you buy quality you might get another year or two out of them.

3. Team up with another family (or two) - Do you know another family with kids the same age? Buy your supplies together. Often the list requires an obscure number of items, forcing you to purchase additional supplies. Buying with another family means buying in bulk and saving you money! 

4. Shop the sales - Sale weekends will show up beginning in August (if school starts in September). Take advantage of these sales by planning your shopping list ahead. For all you teachers out there, Staples offer savings for teachers on numerous days. Michaels offer a teacher discount every day of the year!

5. Shop without your kids or have your kids chip in for the extras - Supply shopping with your kids can be exhausting. Your budget can get out of hand with holographic dividers and battery operated erasers (yes they exist 😡). If your child really wants the $4 smelly eraser rather than the white 2 pack for $2.50, let them pay the $1.50 difference. This is a great way to teach your kids about budgets. You can use this when back to school clothing shopping as well.