Top tips for stress-free back to school shopping

With summer winding down and September knocking at the door, the excitement of back to school shopping is about to kick in. For parents and caregivers this task can be a little overwhelming. But don’t worry! We've got some great tips and free resources that will turn this year's back-to-school shopping into a breeze.

In this resource you’ll find tips on how to research, plan and budget your back to school shopping. Let’s take a look at our four top tips for effortless back to school shopping!

1 – Research your back to school shopping

Start by making yourself a handy supplies list by doing some research into what children need when they go back to school. 

Need some inspiration? Take a look at our essential back to school stationery supplies guide and our back to school checklist. It might also be worth checking with your child’s school to see if they have any suggestions.  

Now that you've got your list you’ll want to think about how to save money on back to school shopping. So ask yourself these questions:

•  Which shops have the best back to school deals right now?

• Do you have any coupons to get the best deals?

• Are you going to buy supplies in bulk to save?

• Any chance of teaming up with other parents for shared supplies?

• Does the shop you’re looking at offer price matching?

Once you’ve made your shopping list and know which shops are going to be your best option, you’re ready to move on to the next step with your back to school shopping.

2 – Craft a back to school shopping budget

Once you’ve sorted out your back to school shopping list, it’s time to create your back to school shopping budget. If you’re wondering how to save money on back to school shopping, creating a budget is an important step. 

First off you’ll want to decide if you’re planning to do your back to school shop in one go or if you want to spread the cost across several smaller shops. Depending on your circumstances, it may be easier to do smaller shops to spread the back to school shopping cost.

When you've figured out your spending limit and timeline, create a handy list where you can keep track of your receipts from each back to school shopping trip. You can either snap a photo of receipts with your phone or even create an excel spreadsheet for extra detail. Either way, this will help you keep track of how much you’re spending to make sure you stay on budget and don’t miss anything essential,

3 – Re-use to save money on back to school shopping

If you’re still thinking of how to save money on back to school shopping, one of the easiest ways is to reuse things you've already got at home. 

Think about recycling markers, pens, and other stationery bits from last year. Uniforms from older siblings or friends that have outgrown them can get a second chance, so be sure to ask around other parents that you know. You’d be surprised how using familiar items like stationery and clothing can help reduce back to school nerves. 

Before you go shopping, have a look and see if you have any of the following that can be used too:

•  Shoes and clothes

• Pencils and pens

• Bright highlighters

• Erasers

While you’re hunting through your back to school stash you might even come across some extra nice-to-have items from your shopping list. It really pays to take stock of what you have before you go back to school shopping.

4 – Back to school shopping solo to save time and money

It’s always good to spend quality time with your children, but when it comes to sticking to your back to school shopping budget, going solo might be the best option if you can. This can help reduce impulse buying, especially if your child is insisting on picking up extra non-essentials along the way. 

See if you can leave your child with a family member or trusted friend for the day. Alternatively, you can level up their learning by booking your child’s tuition session with Explore Learning centre while you shop. 

When you get home with the new back to school supplies, you can get your child excited for the school year ahead by looking at their new stuff together! This is a really good way to help reduce separation anxiety when they go back to school.

Stress-free back to school shopping

Now you’ve planned out your back to school shopping list, sorted out your budget and taken stock of what you’ve already got, you know how to save money on back to school shopping! Preparation is the best way to ensure a stress-free back to school shopping experience.

Beyond back to school shopping: preparing your child for the school year

Making sure your child has all the back to school supplies they’ll need is important, but so is making sure their minds are ready to keep growing this school year.  

At Explore Learning we believe that the best way to get children ready for the school year is to give them a head start. That’s why it’s never too late to consider tuition, either in the back to school run-up or once school has already started. 

A little and often approach to learning outside of school can make a huge difference. Just one hour of tuition a week can improve their attitude towards school and their academic performance. 

We’re here to help boost their confidence with learning so they can get the most out of every school year. So why not get in touch or pop in to your local Explore Learning centre today to see how we can help prepare them for the school year?