If you have multiple children, then you know that August is an expensive month for your family. School lists get longer every year. The more your child advances the more supplies he will need. Getting school supplies should not cause you to break the bank.

Grab the Sales

You can save money if you shop as soon as items go on sale. Usually these sales for supplies and clothing start in mid-July. Finding sales on supplies are easier than finding them for clothes. Take advantage of back to school deals online for clothes and book bags. You can also make use of your state’s tax-free weekend.

Buy Used

You can buy second-hand items and get a good price on them. Sporting good items for after school activities are great to buy used. Some clothes you can buy second-hand since kids grow fast. Finding these clothes are as easy as going to your local thrift stores or consignment shops. Look for gently used items.

Recycle

If your child’s book bag or lunchbox is not ripped to shreds and you can easily clean it, reuse it for this year. This doesn’t mean that you would send your kids to school with broken crayons or used notebooks. Items like rulers, open packages of loose leaf paper, calculators or pencil sharpeners are fine to recycle. Grab them at the end of the year and put them away so they will not get broken or lost.

You can send your children to school feeling confident and ready to start a new year. And you can feel good knowing you didn’t have to sell your jewelry to get all the supplies on their lists.