How to Save Money on Back to School Shopping

Whether you're preparing for kindergarten or college, one thing is certain. You will be purchasing tons of school supplies. While I have been posting deals for commonly needed supplies, I recently read an article from Today which discussed some great money saving tips.

Check through your junk drawers and round up what you already have at home first, before going out and buying replacements.

Most of the time, you already have office supplies lying around the house. You might need fresh notebooks and such, but other supplies like a three-hole puncher or scissors last more than a year.

Consider buying “permanent” school supplies.

Purchase quality and you'll never need to replace a bag again. Jansport and L.L. Bean are two companies that stand behind their products with lifetime warranties. A few years ago the zipper broke on my Jansport bag. I mailed it in and they replaced the zipper for free. No need to buy a new bag. L.L. Bean is even simpliar because you can bring the bag into any store for replacement and not even need to wait for shipping and repair.
Warning: Policies change all the time, so please check with your local store.


The full article, Money-saving tips for back-to-school shopping is geared towards younger students but most of the advice will be helpful to all ages.