Back to School Savings Challenge- Free Printable Tracker

Back to school supplies is a known expense every year if you have school age children, yet so many times we forget to prepare for it.

Each year your child starts school, they are usually given a list of needed supplies. These supplies can be for each individual child, like notebooks or can be for the whole classroom like boxes of tissues. The average spending on back to school supplies can vary a lot based on the grade that your child is attending.

Average Cost of Back to School Shopping

Back to School shopping is generally broken down into 4 categories: Supplies, Clothing, Shoes, and Electronics. According to Statistica, the average parent will spend a total of about $850 per child per year. They broke this number down by category as follows:

Supplies	$138.75
Clothing	$253.46
Shoes	$161.04
Electronics (laptops, calculators, etc)	$295.65
Totals:	$848.90

This coming school year, I will have one child starting Pre-K and one starting 2nd grade. Thankfully there is no supply list for the younger one, so we will save some money there.

I am also going to assume that my future 2nd grader will not be required to purchase any electronics, so that will lower my total as well!

Tips to Save on Back to School Shopping

Unfortunately Back to School shopping typically happens at the same time every year and you are shopping at the same time as every other parent. So even if you find great deals, some may be sold out before you can get there to purchase. It’s almost like a mini Black Friday with the door buster deals and limited quanities.

Here are my favorite tips to save a ton of money:

• Stock up during clearance sales-Every year after the rush of back-to-school shopping, all of those extra supplies go on clearance, and eventually they become so cheap! This is the time to stock up on items that you know your kids will need like: pencils, notebook paper, binders, folders, scissors, dry erase markers, and pens. (I don’t buy anything too specific just what I know they need every year)
• Check out flyers and apps for deals and coupons– This is the one time of year that I will go to every website that sells office supplies and see what their sales will be like. Check places like Office Depot, Walmart, Dollar General, Best Buy, etc. This allows you to plan your purchases.
• Go to multiple stores– Back to school shopping is such a chore for most parents, so they want to go to one place and get everything. This strategy is not best for saving money. Consider shopping at multiple stores to really get the most bang for your buck.
• Buy Fall and Winter clothes in Spring– Right around the time back to school shopping starts is when stores put out their fall and winter clothes, so they will be at their highest price. We live in the south, so it doesn’t actually start to get cold until October, so the first few months of school is too warm for all these new clothes. I check out the clearance section in the beginning of the year and springtime, to catch deals on cold weather staples like jeans, long sleeve shirts, and sweaters. I also check the shoe section for sneakers and boots too! Just estimate what size they will be wearing when the time comes and purchase the larger size than what would fit right now.
• Check for Tax Free Holidays-some states offer specific times when school supplies and clothing is tax free, so check out this table for when your state does this! Keep in mind not every state offers tax free holidays.
• Leave your kids at home– This may sound strange since it is supplies and such for your kids, but they are much more likely to want to purchase trendy and expensive items. Instead going shopping by yourself, and skip buying supplies with characters or logos, aim to buy supplies in their favorite colors. Non-branded items are so much cheaper!
• Don’t be in a rush to buy everything on the list– Most of us are under the impression that we have to buy every single item on the supply list, and we have to have it before school starts. In reality the supply list is a suggestion of what the kids and classroom will need. You also can wait to purchase higher ticket items later on when it is actually needed. I remember I needed an expensive calculator one year and didn’t actually use it until months later.
• Shop 2nd hand– This one is more for clothing items. Instead of buying brand new clothes, check your local Goodwill and thrift shops for gently used clothing and jackets. Every time I go shopping at 2nd hand stores, I find so many items that still have the tags on them and are priced pennies on the dollar. Check and see if any of these stores are also running sales over the summer too! I have purchased winter coats in the middle of summer on sale for $5 versus brand new ones for $100.

How do Monthly Savings Challenges Work?

For these 4 mini savings challenges, you can do each section in any time frame that you like. Simply pick a goal for each mini section and enter it on the Goal Line.

Take the Goal and divide it by the number of items (either 10 or 12). This will tell you how much each item is worth. Once you save that amount, then you color in the item to show your progress!

Savings Challenge – Free Printable

All you have to do, is click the download button to save this PDF file. You will need a PDF reader like Adobe to open it.

Once you have it downloaded, this file prints on a standard 8.5 x 11 piece of paper, so you can print it at home.

Happy Savings!