Money is something that helps a great deal when you have it and causes a lot of problems when you don’t. Financial emergencies happen to us all, and sometimes you may need to turn to other forms of finance to see you through. Lots of people use things like payday loans and credit cards to help them get the funds they need quickly, ensuring that your emergency is dealt with. However, one things that isn’t an emergency, but does require a lot of money is back to school shopping. Every year that your children are in school, it feels like the list gets bigger and bigger, putting more strain on your purse strings. So, if you want to save a bit of money on your back to school expenses, keep reading and find out how you can be more prepared this year.
Start Sooner Than You Think
While it may seem like the new school year is ages away, in actual fact, it will come around a lot sooner than you think. This is why it’s important to start saving as soon as you can. Otherwise, you’ll end up wondering how on earth you’re going to buy everything in time when you haven’t got the cash to do so. Instead of just trying to buy everything during the summer and struggling to find the money, start saving from the beginning of the year. That way, when the time does come for you to do the back to school shop, you’ll have plenty of cash to spend and won’t have to worry about missing anything out.
Make Changes To Your Travel
While it may not always be possible, making changes to how you travel can really help you to save money for back to school shopping. Instead of taking the car everywhere, try taking the bus or even cycling. It works out a lot cheaper and benefits the environment too. You can then put the money you would have spent on petrol into your savings account and quickly see your money build up.
Save Little And Often
When it comes to actually saving money, as well as starting earlier, try to save on a more regular basis too. Instead of putting away a set amount each month, which will normally leave you short by the end of it, put away little bits of money each week. While it may not seem like much at the time, within a few weeks it will have quickly built up into a more feasible amount. It’s really easy to save money when you do it this way, as you aren’t causing yourself financial stress or pressure by taking a huge chunk of your money away. In fact, this method makes it much more affordable. One great tip is to use a banking app that rounds up your purchases. That way you won’t have to worry about putting money away, as it will do it automatically for you. You can round up the nearest whole amount of even the closest multiple of five, really helping you to save money while you shop.
Be Smart When Shopping
Apart from back to school shopping, you also have your regular shopping to contend with and that alone can be expensive. So, to combat this, try making your weekly shop cheaper where you can and putting the extra money into your savings account. Try to find a cheaper supermarket and shop using the deals and reduced section to really help you spend less on each shop.
Don’t Be Afraid Of Buying Second Hand
While it’s nice to always get everything shiny and brand new for your kids, getting things second hand isn’t a bad thing. Most of the time things are a lot cheaper and you can find a lot of things you need for half the price. Buying second hand saves it from being thrown away, and most items are still in perfectly good condition. The list of school items needed is pretty large, and not all of it needs to be new. In fact, you can get lots of things direct from the schools that are second hand which can make it even cheaper. So, don’t feel like you have to blow all the money you’ve saved on a few nice new things and instead, opt for some newer items mixed in with second hand ones. You’ll definitely save much more money in the long run.
Back to school expenses can turn into a nightmare if you’re not prepared, so it’s crucial that you’re always planning ahead. If you leave everything to the last minute, you’ll be hit by record high prices as the peak of school shopping commences. Try picking things up throughout the year and start saving before summer begins. Before you know it, you’ll have managed to save more than enough to kit out your children for the upcoming school year.
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