8 Back to School Money Saving Tips

"Back to School"...these words can bring joy to tired parents, and even to children. After all, spending 8 weeks camped together in close quarters can give even the best of us cabin fever.

However, this joy may not be felt by your wallet. If you have three children, this could potentially be one of the most expensive times of year. There are uniform costs, school books, school fees and supplies. To help you out, minimise your spending and to ensure you stay on top of your finances, we provide the follow tips specific to back to school and school supplies.

Tip 1: Check what supplies you already have: While it is tempting to go out and buy brand new items, do a quick check around the house and see what items you already have. Chances are you won't need everything new on the list.

Tip 2: Second hand department at school: See whether the school has a second hand department, where you can source decent clothes from.

Tip 3: Write a list: When in the shopping centre it is tempting to buy everything that your children ask for (after all it is for education). If you go with a list you will ascertain what they really need (they can help write the list) before you are at the shops, and you will be less likely to make any impulse purchases.

Tip 4: Stick to the list: It takes more than just writing a list; make sure you stick to it as well. Avoid all those other temptations.

Tip 5: Assign a budget: As well as having a list, assign a budget to your purchases and stick to it. We are not saying get the cheapest items possible (often these aren't a good investment), we are saying that you should choose wisely and not spend over your limit.

Tip 6: Use vouchers and coupons: There are loads of coupons and special vouchers leading up to the start of school. Check out local newspapers and the Internet to see what discounts you can get.

Tip 7: Shop all year round: Often the best time to buy school supplies is just after school has gone back. If you set a yearly budget for school related products, and keep your eyes open, you can definitely get some savings throughout the year.

Tip 8: Compare prices: Compare prices either on the Internet or by going into multiple stores. Don't buy all of your products at the first store you go into, shop around first.

As you can see, your kids going back to school doesn't have to put to much pressure on your wallet. Just follow the above tips and you will be sure that your spending is well under control.

Rusty is an affiliate marketer with eight years experience. His areas of expertise include SEO, articles, ezines, blogs and PPC. Rusty is particularly interested in the areas of goal setting, time management and financial and money management. Rusty is married with three young children, is an Australian national and currently lives as an expat in the Middle East. If you want to check out all his money saving tips visit http://www.1000moneysavingtips.com or http://www.1011moneysavingtipsebook.com