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Regardless if you have been “back to school” since June or if you are not scheduled to start back until after Labor Day, now is a fabulous time to stock up on school supplies.It seems that all major stores are offering excellent deals on school supplies.
According to Businessweek.com, 18 states are offering tax free holidays to assist families in their back to school shopping, an increase from 16 states last year and 17 in 2008. This number will grow to 19 states should Massachusetts vote to approve the proposed two day holiday in August.
Tax free holidays may be different in each of the states where they are offered. To determine the requirements for your state, check with your state’s department of revenue or with your local library. About.com has published an article listing many states offering sales tax free holidays along with a link to more details on the state’s specific offering.
Other ways to save money for back to school shopping:
1. Reuse materials. Reuse items you have on hand or contact another homeschooling family to determine if you can utilize any materials they may have used previously. This works well for text books and other non-consumable materials.
2. Buy used. If you are not able to work out an arrangement to borrow materials from another family, think about buying used items. Many homeschool groups allow members to buy and sell used materials through an email exchange or group notice and ebay.com usually has excellent selections in used books and materials.
3. Shop sales. Stores offer excellent pricing this time of year for back to school items. Check your sale papers and compare pricing on items that you will need. Another great resource is to check with your local news station to determine if a reporter has covered the best deals for back to school. Many times, they have done all of the homework for you.
How does your family make the most of your back to school shopping dollars?
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This year we’re saving a lot because we overbought in years past and have more than enough notebooks, pencils, etc. for this year. I miss shopping for school supplies!
When I do need to buy, we look over all the sale flyers and go for the store with the most good deals. I don’t drive all over to save a dollar or two. Beginning when my kids were little I always steered them away from licensed or designer products which always cost more so they are used to the utilitarian products. Actually we design our own pretty notebooks by covering the cheap composition books with nice paper or fabric.
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