- I have two kids in high school, and I spend less than $300 on back-to-school shopping.
- My kids never have a whole new wardrobe at the start of each new school year.
- We don't buy new backpacks or lunch boxes unless the old ones are worn out.
I've found that parents are either on team "I can't wait to get these kids out of my house" or team "Man, summer was just too short." Either way, we are all dreading the anticipated dent in our wallets that back-to-school shopping makes.
Although I'm occasionally guilty of spending too much on my kids, I manage to keep the spending down when it comes to back-to-school shopping.
I spend about $300 on both kids before school starts. This is how I do it.
They don't get a full new wardrobe
A new school year doesn't mean a whole new wardrobe. My kids are still growing, so of course, I replenish what they've outgrown or what is badly worn out, but most of the time, what they've already got in their closets is acceptable to wear to school.
I buy most of my kids' school clothes during the after-Thanksgiving sales. I'll look at other big sale weekends, such as Memorial Day, but I've found the best deals on clothes on Black Friday, although I no longer brave the stores and grab everything online.
Even when buying school clothes for my kids on sale, I don't buy a lot. We live in the south and don't see chilly weather until at least November. Since my kids are allowed to wear shorts to school, they wear the shorts that they wear all summer as long as they still fit.
They re-use backpacks and lunchboxes if they're serviceable
I also don't automatically replace backpacks and lunchboxes at the start of every year. I replace these items only when they wear out, break, or get so ratty that they're unsightly.
Pottery Barn is my go-to place for backpacks and lunchboxes. They cost a bit more, but I usually get at least three years of use out of them.
I also quit buying my kids whimsical backpacks and lunchboxes early on in elementary school. Sure, cartoon characters and dinosaurs are cute, but kids' tastes change and why buy a new lunchbox just because your child is over Paw Patrol or decides they aren't into spaceships? A plain backpack might not be as fun, but my kids can express themselves with fun tee shirts that I don't expect to fit next year, not a $50 backpack I buy because I know it will last.
Our last round of lunchboxes lasted for three years. At the end of every school year, I throw them in the washer — although I don't put them in the dryer — and regular dirt, pencil marks, and footprints wash out. Yeah, I probably don't want to know what actually happens in the school cafeteria.
Keeping a stock of school supplies basics on hand saves both time and money
I spent more on school supplies when my kids were in elementary school — school supply lists times two with crayons, colored pencils, and so many glue sticks drove my expenses up.
From seventh grade on, school supply lists were much slimmer. That said, my kids still need school supplies, but they're usually the basics, such as paper, notebooks, folders, and pens and pencils. For several years, I've bought the basics in bulk on Amazon, so I've always spent less when the school supply list comes out. A chunk of the items my kids need are already in my cabinet.
Also, I never go to the store in person to buy school supplies. The school supply aisles always feel chaotic and picked through. What I don't order on Amazon, I've ordered from my Shipt or my grocery store's curbside service. Outsourcing searching for a 24-pack of Crayola-not-Rose-Art crayons preserved a little bit of my sanity during a hectic season.
I buy used stuff
I use thrift stores and Facebook Marketplace as much as I can. Not only does this save me money, but it's also a more sustainable shopping practice since kids often grow out of their clothes before they've had a chance to wear them out or at all. Some of my best thrift store scores still had tags on them.
I can typically score jeans in good condition, sports equipment, and dress clothes at secondhand stores, online marketplaces, and buy-and-sell groups. In 10+ seasons of soccer and baseball, I've bought brand-new cleats exactly twice. One of my sons plays violin in the school's orchestra and has to wear black slacks and black dress shoes for performances, which happen about four times a year. Until he's done growing, it makes no sense to drop a ton of money on things he won't wear often.