Save on Back-to-School Shopping with These 4 Tips

The back-to-school shopping season is in full swing, and although retail sales and discounts abound, prolonged inflation is still taking a toll on most family budgets. A year ago, parents with grade school students were spending as much as $900 per child on back-to-school expenses, according to the National Retail Federation. And this year's outlook is largely the same.

The good news? It's entirely possible to navigate the challenge of rising prices and still equip your kids with everything they'll need to get the school year off to a good start.

To help you out, we consulted the experts and offer these tips based on age and grade level:

Age 0-4

• Shop Generic. Infants and toddlers in daycare settings or preschoolers fortunately don't need brand name items, so take advantage of these early years. For clothes and basic supplies, focus on store brands, bulk sales that you can split with friends, and even some of those less-than-popular colors and styles that come with deeper discounts. And when it comes to food that you can purchase from grocery stores and other big-box stores, value brands can yield as much as 40% savings.

Age 5-9

• Organize a Clothing Swap. These are prime growing years when kids blow through sneakers, sweatshirts, jeans and a whole lot more every few months. Survey your extended family and other families in your circle of friends and host a "swap party" to put a fun twist on sharing the age-old hand-me-down. We expect they will be just as eager as you to save some money.

Age 10-13

• Go Thrifting. Recycling clothes, shoes, backpacks, handbags and other items is all the rage right now - particularly among adolescents and teens who love the $2 bins at local Goodwill stores. And you never know when you'll stumble upon a real treasure! Thrifting is also an economical way to let tweens and young teens develop their own style.

Age 14-18

• Shop a Sales-Tax Holiday. If your high school student needs a bigger-ticket technology item - and what teen doesn't - these sales can be handy. In Florida, families will enjoy a sales tax holiday from Monday July 29, 2024, to Sunday, August 11, 2024. Items exempt from sales tax include clothing, shoes and accessories $100 or less; various school supplies $50 or less; learning aids $30 or less; and personal computers and related accessories priced $1,500 or less.

Let's be real: back to school can easily hit a family's pocketbook as hard as the holiday gifting season. But a little planning ahead and creativity can lessen the sting as you send them back to the classroom! And the money-saving tips they see YOU using now might just help them later when they're into the stages of college, career and adulting!

Have more questions? We've got answers! Explore our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about our Prepaid Plans and Savings Plan. And click here to start your savings now!

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