5 Ways to Cut Costs During<br />Back-to-School Shopping As summer vacation comes to an end, many<br />parents are dreading the thought of facing<br />a huge back-to-school shopping bill. According to the National Retail<br />Federation, parents spend an annual<br />average of almost $700 on school supplies. Here are five cost-cutting tips to help you<br />save money on back-to-school shopping. 1. Roundup the Supplies You Have:<br /><br />Before you go out and buy all new materials, take stock<br />of what your kids still have from last year’s supplies. 2. Visit the Local Dollar Store:<br /><br />When it comes to basic supplies such as pens,<br />paper and notebooks, the Dollar Store often<br />offers these items for significantly lower prices. 3. Deal Hunt for Big-Ticket Items:<br />Coupon searching can be time consuming,<br />so try to focus your efforts on the more<br />expensive items you’ll need to purchase. 4. Only Buy What You Need:<br />Most stores mark up their prices during back-to-school<br />time, so if there are supplies you don’t immediately<br />need, wait until after school starts to purchase them. 5. Spend Time Shopping Online:<br />Shopping online not only saves time,<br />but it also helps you stay true to your<br />shopping list and only buy what you need.
