Okay, calling all parents out there... it’s time to do the math - computers, books, clothes, sporting equipment, musical instruments. It will all add up quickly as you buy all those back-to-school supplies for the kids.
Experts say this year, just like everything else, it will cost you more money to buy all that back-to-school gear. KPRC 2′s Bill Spencer is looking for brand new ways you can save money.
RELATED: Saving on back-to-school supplies
Families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $890 for the start of the school year. You can double that if your child is headed to college.
#1 Check to see if what you are buying is a good deal
First, before you buy anything online or in the store check the prices of the items you want to make sure it’s really a good deal.
You need to download several price-tracking browsers that will help you.
- CamelCamelCamel - tracks prices from Amazon.com to see if you are getting the best deal.
- Keepa - tracks prices
- The School Supplies App - tracks and finds the best deals on school supplies
And make sure you sign up to receive alerts when a price drops on something you need on your shopping list.
#2 Buy items you need, used
Did you know you can save as much as 60% on refurbished laptop computers, tablets, and calculators on ‘Amazon Renewed.’
Best Buy, Micro Center, and even Apple all sell used electronic devices. All you have to do is search it.
Moving on to your college kids now- textbooks can really add up quickly.
Campus Books is both a search engine and a price comparison tool to help you locate the best prices on schoolbooks.
If you need musical instruments check Reverb.
Consider checking pawn shops for sporting equipment.
Chegg.com and Textbooks.com places to buy used textbooks.
Project Gutenberg offers 60,000 free ebooks you can download.
#3 Stack coupons, both at stores and on coupon websites
The third strategy is to save, and stack coupons. For example, when you’re shopping online, don’t search for the item and then buy it right away. Put the items in your cart and then leave it there.
Retailers monitor this and a lot of times will send you an email with a discount code in hopes you’ll complete the purchase.
Then, wait for a sale and combine that with your discount code.