Guest Post: Save On Back-To-School!

School supply deals are in full swing.

Whether your child is heading off to school for the first time or you’re an old pro, back-to-school shopping can be daunting and expensive.

Take a look at these five tips to help you save on school supplies:

1. Shop early to get the best deals. The earlier you start shopping and taking advantage of 25-cent crayons and 1-cent folders, the more money you can save.

2. Use coupons to lower your out-of-pocket expenses. Crayola, Bic, 3M and Zebra already have started distributing coupons to entice you to purchase their products. Stores may also offer their own coupons to get you into the store.

3. Check the condition of school supplies from last year. Ask yourself if anything can be reused. Look at items such as backpacks, lunch bags, pencil boxes and binders. Determine if these products will survive another year. If you purchased a quality backpack, the answer is most likely yes. If the item is in good condition, use it again.

4. Shop multiple weeks at multiple stores. You can get the most bang for your buck by taking advantage of multiple sale offers. Spread your shopping out over a number of weeks, and use the deals at different stores to increase your savings. However, it is not necessary to shop at every store each week. Pick one or two stores each week with the best deals, and shop at only those stores.

5. Purchase extra school supplies to donate to children in need. Having new supplies can make a world of difference to the success of a school year. There are numerous campaigns available such as Stuff the Bus 2012 or take advantage of offers such as Free Krispy Kreme Doughnuts with School Supply Donation.

Dana is married to a wonderful husband of 13-years and is the mother of 2 energetic kids. She spends her days chasing the kids, car pooling to Tae-Kwon-Do and Gymnastics or reading a good book. Dana enjoys sharing ways to save money, so you can live better on less on her website, The Coupon Challenge.

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