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Every family needs to buy some supplies before kids go back to school each year. This can start to become expensive especially for growing children who regularly need new clothes and shoes. Shopping on a tight budget is not always easy. There are a few tips that will help families to stay on budget when shopping for back to school supplies.

Avoid Licensed Merchandise

One tip for parents is to avoid the major licensed merchandise brands that appear on clothes, backpacks and other school supplies. Licensed merchandise includes items that have currently popular images of movie characters or people on the front. The lunchboxes or shoes that have licensed images are no better in quality than most other items but come with a premium cost attached. Many back to school supplies are available with fun or stylish designs and logos that do not have the additional licensing cost.

Combine Discounts

The back to school shopping period is a time when many retailers start to have in-store sales. Most also have coupons or other discounts available. One tip is to attempt to combine coupons while shopping for supplies. Some stores will honor coupons along with in-store sales and discounts or loyalty rewards. This can multiply the savings especially when purchasing items in bulk.

Include Children

Back to school shopping can be a stressful experience. Some parents decide to leave children out of the process unless absolutely necessary. Bringing a child along while shopping could actually help to save money and stick to a budget. Children might prefer to have items that are less expensive. Parents might not know this unless the child is in the store and involved in the decision-making process. Additionally, children can point out different items that might not work for reasons parents could not know in advance.

Shop Online

Looking for school supplies online takes far less time than driving to a store and walking the aisles even if nothing is purchased. Shopping for some supplies online can save a large amount of money. Online stores like Reem Clothing offer stylish and comfortable clothing for far less than many retailers. Some websites even have bulk school supply kits that include pencils, paper and other necessary items. Shopping and comparing items online will help the family stick to a budget.

Parents should always go shopping with a precise list of the back to school supplies needed. This list should contain everything the child needs even if it will not be purchased that day. Following a list will make it easier to avoid guessing what a child needs and making impulse purchases.

Brionna Kennedy is native to the Pacific Northwest, growing up in Washington, then moving down to Oregon for college. She enjoys writing on fashion and business, but any subject will do, she loves to learn about new topics. When she isn’t writing, she lives for the outdoors. Oregon has been the perfect setting to indulge her love of kayaking, rock climbing, and hiking.