When our three boys went back to school after months of forced remote learning, my husband and I felt like we had passed a test. Not only did we master remote classroom technology, we also budgeted to pay for the new laptops that made it possible.
Now, as many parents are preparing to send children back to bricks-and-mortar school this fall, many of us are analyzing the costs of the transition. A recent survey found that Americans are expected to spend an average of $848.90 per household for school items before classes start in 2021. Back-to-school shopping is a big business, and the total costs this year are estimated at $37.1 billion, up from $26.2 billion way back before the pandemic in 2019.
If you’re looking to recoup some of what you spent during the pandemic and save some money on what your kids want to wear on the playground, here are 14 ideas to help.
1. Forage for School Supplies at Home
Certain students relish walking down store aisles lined with protractors and spiral-bound notebooks, but it might not be necessary. “Before heading to the store, take stock of what you have at home,” says Kristin McGrath, shopping expert and editor at RetailMeNot. Our boys had weeks of remote learning in fall 2020, and their new school supplies got scattered. We have unopened index cards and unsharpened pencils galore, all of which I can gather and send to the classroom without spending another dime.
2. Resell Tech and Furnishings
At the first rumors of a lockdown and long-term remote learning, we bought three basic Chromebooks for our school-age sons. And my husband headed
with his face mask—to Ikea to look at more efficient desks and chairs. We weren’t alone: Half of parents reported that they spent more on technology for kids in 2020, according to a Bankrate survey, and around 30% bought furnishings for children, too. If you overspent in those categories last year, consider selling some of the items to recapture the cost.
3. Plan for School-Night Dinners and Save
With school back in session, you may also have more time to compare prices, clip coupons and shop more strategically. Mother of four and family budget guru Erin Chase of $5 Dinners has mastered budget-friendly recipes. She plans ahead to avoid the extra cost of take-out and dinners out, which can be tempting on busy school nights. “I rely heavily on make-ahead freezer meals that I can cook in the slow cooker or Instant Pot,” she says.
Don’t forget to freeze leftovers to ensure they don’t spoil in the fridge. There’s nothing better than remembering you have a full meal in the freezer ready to heat and eat.
4. Shrink Your Snack Budget
Though the ravenous kids who raided the pantry all day will be away at school, you’ll still need to send snacks with them. But you can slash costs by buying in bulk. “Convenience-packaged snacks can be a real grocery budget buster,” says Chase. “Look for larger packages that you can divide into snack-sized bags. As a mom of four hungry boys, I’m always trying to balance the convenience of grab-and-go lunch-packing options and my grocery spending.”
5. Spend Wisely on Wardrobe
How great was it that kids got by with the same T-shirts and shorts during remote learning and felt less pressure to keep up with trends? According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), kids are most excited about buying clothes and accessories in 2021, and, of course, they’ve grown.
Now’s the time to reassess your children’s clothing budget. Talk to kids about buying essentials and help them find brands they like at consignment shops. If browsing online, McGrath recommends shopping with a browser extension, like RetailMeNot’s Deal Finder, to find and apply the best promo codes and cash back offers at checkout—for clothing and lots of other categories.
6. Shop All the Sales
The NRF reports that 61% of consumers typically plan their back-to-class shopping around sale events, including Prime Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day. Still, it can be tempting to pick up lunch boxes and water bottles when stores first display them. McGrath suggests you wait for holiday weekend sales or a tax-free weekend, which 15 states are planning this year.
“States’ tax-free weekends are all positioned around the back-to-school season, and nearly all include school supplies,” she says. “So, consider loading up on things you might need every year for your kids’ entire school career.”
7. Research Social Media Influencer Brands
The NRF reports that 72% of Gen Z buyers are more likely to spend on brands they follow on social media. But, to use some Gen Z lingo I gleaned during the pandemic at home with my boys, ask your kids to “pull up” and discuss what they really need. Ask them to show you the products they like on social media and then research how they compare to the competition. Ask older kids to research price and quality and report back. Then, reward them by purchasing the item they determine is the best value.
8. Consider Holding On to Older Tech
You may want to upgrade computers and tablets for the new school year, but according to McGrath, there’s a chip shortage affecting consumer electronics. “Check the estimated ship date before you hit ‘buy,’” she warns, adding that you might need to “make do with an older laptop partway into the semester while you wait for the new laptop to arrive.” ZDNet reports that laptop prices will surge in 2021 because of supply chain issues for chips and other components.
If you do need to buy a new device, consider one that is refurbished. And always check if the company you’re buying from has an education discount, like Apple and Dell do.
9. Invest in Quality
Once the time comes to make a high-value purchase, you can save money by choosing higher quality brands. For instance, don’t jump at the less expensive tablet if research shows the premium-brand version will last longer. Value a strong warranty. My husband’s laptop recently had a hard drive failure, and with the warranty, he simply shipped it in for a few days and the company returned it with a new drive and a bonus—a new LCD screen.
10. Try Food Kits and Meal Services
I’m guilty of overreaching when it comes to meal planning, pulling recipes that look good but cost a fortune to make. My local grocer started offering simple prepared meals with lean meat and veggies that I can throw in the oven for 20 minutes and serve. They are like a healthier version of old-school TV dinners, and they’re often more cost-effective than buying ingredients for a main dish and sides.
Your grocer most likely offers something similar. Also, mail order meal services like Blue Apron or Freshly sometimes have introductory deals.
11. Rely on Reusables
Easy on your budget and the environment, replacing single-use lunch bags, plastic bags and food items can help you save. The Huffington Post calculated that a reusable, waste-free lunch can save $417.60 per child, per year. For example, the Silicone Reusable Sandwich and Snack Bag by Stasher, which gets the Good Housekeeping seal of approval, costs about $12 and offers unlimited use. Or, you can keep buying box after box of plastic zip-top sandwich- and snack-size bags year after year. Your call.
12. Redistribute Your Pandemic Budget Wisely
With the whole family home all day, you probably saw a spike in utility bills, and you may have hired babysitters for important Zoom calls or more frequent date nights to get a break as a couple. With a regular school year back in action, sock away the money you once budgeted for those items in a high yield savings account.
13. Sell Your Stuff and Buy Used
Gather gear you bought to keep kids busy around the house—like that pristine pair of rollerblades your child never used during breaks between Zoom classes—and sell it. Take old sports equipment to local swap shops and see what you can get for it. Or list it on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Nextdoor or other local swap sites. Remember: If you’re selling, other parents are too. Look for deals.
You might also consider the Buy Nothing Project, which facilitates a local gift economy over a local cash economy to prolong the life of objects.
14. Count Time Saved as Cost Savings
Take advantage of prepackaged offers on school supplies. My kids’ school contracts with EduKit, a company that sells the teachers’ lists of supplies for every grade. The goods arrive in one box for each child, and it’s well worth any premium paid. Every year, the school’s Facebook group debates the cost versus convenience of this service, and every year I post the same comment: Time is money. One click and I’m done. To me, that’s priceless.
Jennifer Chappell Smith has more than 25 years’ experience writing about lifestyle, personal finance and more. She and her husband live in San Antonio, TX, where they’re raising three boys, ages 12, 11 and 9.