Tips for Back to School Shopping on a Budget

Back to school shopping is one of the biggest expenses of the year, especially when you have more than one child at home. Early preparation and wise shopping can save you lots of money.

Use the following tips in order to plan your back to school shopping budget and cut costs where possible.

Take a stock check at home
Before you run out to buy things, take a stock check at home. A stock check at home will give you a clear picture of what you have at home and what is missing, and will save you unnecessary expense.

Prepare an organized shopping list and buy only the things that appear on your list
One of the most common problems is "you buy with your eyes". We arrive at the store, see cool products we had no intension of buying, and end up buying them whether we need them or not. Stick with the list that you made at home, and don't be tempted to buy products that you don't need.

School supplies list
Has the school supplied you with a school supplies list? Stick to the list during shopping. If on the other hand the school has not supplied you with a school supplies list try and contact the teacher ask her to send you one by fax or email. If you haven't been able to contact anyone at school, purchase only the basic products required to begin the school year, and complete the remainder of the purchases once you receive the full school supplies list.

Compare prices
Compare prices in the different stores before you purchase the supplies. You don't have to buy all of the supplies in one store. Although comparing prices will not save you time,it will on the other hand, save you plenty of money.

Look for sales
Before you buy look for sales. If you start early you will find good bargains in various stores.

Dollar stores
Before you go and spend large amounts of money, visit the Dollor store. In these stores you will find the basic supplies that your child requires.

Check on eBAY
When you conduct a price comparison, always check on eBAY. If you have ever made a purchase on eBAY you will already know that there you can find products at really low prices.

In addition to all the other products offered on eBAY, you can also find basic school supplies for school at really low prices, especially if you purchase large quantities of supplies. If the quantity offered is too large for you, try and make a joint purchase with other parents. Joint purchases can save you an enormous amount of money.

For your convenience, attached are links to eBAY branches worldwide. Choose the branch closest to your home.

eBay AU	eBay BE	eBay CA
eBay ES	eBay FR	eBay IT
eBay NL	eBay UK	eBay US

Check prices on the internet
As a rule, prices on the net are lower than individual stores. Therefore, it's a good idea to conduct a thorough search on the net to find sales and special discount prices.

Where Would You Like to Go Next?

• Read our back to school safety tips?
• Read our back to school checklist?
• Learn how to make a bookmark for the new school year?
• Check out the monthly sales?