Back to School Shopping

School supplies can be expensive if you buy them too early. The best times to buy things like notebooks or pencils/pens is during the last weeks of August and the first weeks of September because stores are trying to get rid of the Back-to-School section in order to put the Halloween stuff out. Prices are as low as 50-90% off. This is also the time to stock up for the next school year and in case you need more supplies during the school year(instead of paying retail prices).

Tips

1. Buy generic notebooks instead of name brand notebooks. They may be plain and boring, but you can always decorate them yourself.

2. Buy Texas Instruments graphing calculators when they're between $90-$120. Office Depot and Target usually runs this promotion every year so check online. This is better than the original $119 and $150 when it's not on sale.

If you buy the TI-84 CE calculator on Office Depot's website through Ebates, they're offering 3% cashback.

3. If you like high end backpacks like The North Face or Vera Bradley, try to buy them from outlet stores. They're usually 50-70% off retail prices. With those discounts, you can get backpacks for around $25 which is the same or less than the price of JanSport and High Sierra backpacks. If you prefer High Sierra backpacks, buy them at Costco for $19.99.

4. Buy laptops or other electronics from Costco if your family has a membership. They have great warranties that last up to 2 years.

5. Buy pencils and pens in bulk from Amazon or if there's a sale on the products at Target, Walmart, or Walgreens.

6. Not all things from the dollar store are a great deal. For example, notebooks at Dollar Tree are all $1, but you can get them from Target or Walmart for $0.25-$0.75 each.