Back to school: 5 ways to save when shopping for your children

Dianne Lommason, from left, takes her daughters Jordan, 16, Camryn, 9, and Kristyn, 11, back-to-school buying astatine Target successful Las Vegas connected Monday, Aug. 19, 2013. Photo by: Leila Navidi

Editor’s note: “Behind the News” is the merchandise of Sun unit assisted by the Sun’s AI lab, which includes a assortment of tools specified arsenic Anthropic’s Claude, Perplexity AI, Google Gemini and ChatGPT.

With classes acceptable to resume Aug. 10 crossed Las Vegas, galore families are going retired for back-to-school buying trips. 

Financial experts accidental a small readying tin support the measure from spiraling retired of control. 

Here are 5 pointers to assistance shoppers find what they need, enactment connected budget, debar crowds and overbuying, and get kids progressive without breaking the bank:

Know what to look for — commencement with the list, not the display

Experts accidental the biggest mistake parents marque is buying without a plan. Impulse buys and duplicate purchases adhd up accelerated erstwhile shoppers rotation the aisles without absorption [1]. Most schools people authoritative proviso lists successful July, and sticking to that database — alternatively than everything featured successful seasonal promotions — keeps spending nether power [2]. Before buying thing new, instrumentality inventory astatine location first. Old backpacks, half-used glue sticks and leftover notebooks from past twelvemonth often screen much of the database than parents expect, and checking supplies connected manus earlier buying is 1 of the simplest ways to trim costs [3]

Set a fund — and enactment a fig connected it earlier you shop

About a 3rd of back-to-school shoppers acceptable a steadfast fund earlier heading out, according to a survey [1]. Financial experts urge deciding successful beforehand precisely however overmuch a household tin spend, past breaking that full into categories specified arsenic clothing, supplies, shoes and electronics, truthful each country has its ain bounds [4]. Setting speech that magnitude successful cash, oregon successful a abstracted account, and stopping erstwhile it's gone is 1 wont that tin forestall overspending much efficaciously than immoderate coupon [5]. Building successful a cushion of other funds for unexpected costs — enactment fees, a yearbook charge, sports cogwheel — besides helps debar budget-busting surprises aboriginal successful the schoolhouse twelvemonth [6][3].

Battle the crowds — store aboriginal and usage income windows strategically

Over fractional of back-to-school shoppers said this summer, they planned purchases astir large income events specified arsenic Prime Day, Target Circle Week and Walmart deals [4]. Shopping earlier successful the play — mid-July done aboriginal August — typically means amended prices [7]. More than a 4th of shoppers besides program to usage their state's sales-tax-free play [1][2].

Don't overbuy — bargain lone what's connected the list, and bargain it once

Cheap items specified arsenic pencils, erasers and glue sticks are casual to overbuy, but determination is nary request to stockpile months' worthy of them successful August [7]. Shopping successful 1 focused travel with a database successful hand, alternatively than respective "quick runs," helps forestall the tiny impulse extras astatine checkout — an other highlighter here, a novelty eraser determination — that tin crook a $100 program into $160 [3]. Comparing prices crossed retailers, utilizing integer coupons and checking for pupil oregon teacher discounts earlier buying tin besides assistance shoppers debar paying afloat terms for items they were ever going to request [2].

Involve the kids — without losing power of the budget

Three successful 10 shoppers accidental they've had oregon volition speech to their students astir a fund program [1]. Experts urge involving children straight successful the readying and buying process arsenic a mode to thatch wealth lessons, including the quality betwixt needs and wants [1]. Setting class limits successful beforehand — for example, a acceptable dollar magnitude for covering oregon shoes — lets kids marque their ain choices astir circumstantial items portion staying wrong a fig parents person already approved [4]. For teens, back-to-school play tin besides beryllium a earthy opening to sermon a part-time occupation to assistance screen discretionary extras that autumn extracurricular the household fund [1].

Sources

[1] https://www.nerdwallet.com/finance/studies/back-to-school-shopping-report

[2] https://www.advantageccs.org/blog/the-ultimate-2026-back-to-school-money-saving-guide-for-families/

[3] https://www.spendwisecents.com/blog/back-to-school-on-a-budget

[4] https://pocketclear.app/blog/back-to-school-budget-2026.html

[5] https://budget-calm.com/blog/back-to-school-budget-2026-usa

[6] https://www.jll.com/en-us/insights/back-to-school-2026-shopping-report

[7] https://sonsnotebooks.com/the-ultimate-back-to-school-supply-checklist-for-parents-in-2026/