Illustration by OConnorCartoons.com
Back to school – Vista Print is offering 10 freebies right now, many of which can be used as back to school supplies. Unclear how long the promotion lasts.
Restaurant.com – The latest Restaurant.com coupon code gets you 80% off! Expires Aug. 31, 2010.
Free sample – Get a free sample of Aveeno Nourish shampoo and condition for sharing a little info about yourself. Unclear when this offer ends.
Big sale at Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic - Starting tomorrow through Sunday (Aug. 26-29) there is a big ol’ 30% off sale at Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic. You can feel good about spending, too, because 5% of what you buy goes to a charity of your choosing. I want a new sweater!
Free movie rental – Rent one movie from Blockbuster Express and get the second movie rental free. Expires today!
Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog.
Home decor from Dollar Tree: SavinSome.com
Every Friday I link to my favorite money-saving posts. If you came across a great money-saving tip, please link to it in the comments.
If you’re interested in being a mystery shopper, make sure to read Nicole’s Nickels post about mystery shopping FAQs.
Create back to school traditions to get your kids excited for learning, says Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.
Stock up on these eight green back to school supplies, courtesy of Bargain Briana.
Think the dollar stores are full of junk? Brandy at SavinSome will prove you wrong with her ye for frugal home decor.
How much food do you waste each week? Nikki at CouponCookin has tips to reduce food waste.
Kacy at Valuing Today shares a personal story about cutting her medical bills by negotiating monthly payments with her doctor and dentist.
Do you plan to buy back to school supplies at your local dollar store? My feeling is back to school supplies do not need to be high quality, with the exception of a sturdy backpack. Pens, pencils, and lunch boxes will disappear like that, so why invest a lot in them?
I’ve seen notebooks, pencils, loose paper, pens, folders, and pen/pencil cases for $1 each at the Dollar Tree. And the latest 99 Cent Only Stores ad (locations in CA, AZ, NV, and TX) advertises the following items for $1 each:
- 12-pack of Paper Mate pens
- 5-pack of mechanical pencils
- 8-pack colored pencils
- 12-pack of crayons (more…)
stevendepolo/Flickr
This is a guest blog post by Stella Louise, editor of the personal finance blog at Savings.com. She is very grateful she only had to suffer through one year of geometry.
I recently researched back to school supplies and was astounded at how much is required to properly equip a child for the new school semester. At the risk of sounding like my parents, when I was a kid back to school shopping mainly consisted of a brand new pair of shoes and some updates to the wardrobe plus a couple of notebooks and some pencils.
But as school budgets cuts have increased with the ailing economy, more and more of the slashed funding has been offloaded to external sources. This explains not only the increase of school fundraisers, such as the adorable third grader from down the street panhandling $5 chocolate bars door-to-door, but also the increasingly gargantuan back to school supply lists.
When I was a kid (and granted, this was EONS ago…), I recall having an art independent study class where I painted for the entire semester. Canvas after canvas using the entire spectrum of acrylic paints and brushes of varying width and thickness to create my “masterpieces.” I ended up being voted (more…)
kirstiecat/Flickr
If you missed me this morning on Martha Stewart Living radio, I talked about reducing overall expenses and deciding what is a “need” and what is a “want” item.
Absolute necessities - Send your student packing with basic toiletries like shampoo, deodorant, and toothpaste. Basic bedding and clothes are necessities, as are a few notebooks, a pencil, and a pen.
Bedding – Use sheets and pillows you already have (no one sees them, anyway) but look for a sale on a new comforter or quilt to make everything feel new. If extra long sheets are needed, send your student to college with an extra flat sheet and they can fold the corners themselves. Or, head to Target for a $10 extra-long Jersey sheet set.
If you are worried about bedbugs, buy a mattress protector but skip a pricey mattress enhancer. If the bed is not comfortable, pick up a piece of egg crate foam, which is super cheap.
Computer – Wait to buy a computer until your student arrives at school and finds out if the college has specific computer requirements. Some schools, like Wake Forest in North Carolina, give each student a free computer and color printer/scanner/copier. Wow!
Textbooks - Your student can download a free eReader app to their smart phone or computer and find free copies of classics by Jane Austin and others in the public domain. Borders alone has more than 1 million free eBooks.
Buy used textbooks – and not just from the school bookstore but on Craigslist, eBay, and Amazon. Amazon offers students get a free Amazon Prime membership, which comes with free 2-day shipping. A Prime membership usually costs $79.
Rent a text book from Chegg.com, which has a 30-day “any reason” return policy. You’ll pay about 50-70% less than buying a book outright, and you don’t have to worry about selling your books at the end of the semester.
Try swapping for textbooks on sites like BookMooch.com, but don’t expect many textbooks.
Go digital by checking the distributor’s website to see if you can purchase an electronic copy of the textbook. They save on ink, paper, and transportation, so the cost goes down significantly. A friend once got a $115 economics textbook for $40. If you can bring it on your laptop to class, then you’re set.
Kitchen - Most frosh are on a meal plan, so they don’t need anything but perhaps a coffee maker (which every garage sale across America has). For students not on a meal plan, stock up on silverware, plates, cups, appliances at the nearest Goodwill for $15-$20.
Furniture - Are you kidding me? Dorms rooms are teeny tiny and students are required to keep in their room any furniture provided by the school.
Humidifier – Send a humidifier when temps drop (assuming your student lives in a cold, dry climate). It is hard to sleep in super dry conditions and lack of sleep may make them more prone to colds and missing class. (Just a hunch on that last one.)
Buy used - Avoid getting sucked into the mentality that everything has to be new. Going to college is a special experience, but spending a lot of money outfitting a dorm doesn’t make it so. Before you head to the store, raid the attic, go to garage sales, and search Craigslist.
Let them decide - Another strategy to save is to give your student a budget and let them prioritize what to buy. Putting them in charge – while still helping find deals to stretch their dollar – may well motivate them to become savvy shoppers and help them separate “needs” versus “wants.”
Shop the dollar stores - Your student is not going to cart a lot of this stuff home every summer so there is no point in spending money on items that don’t have a lone lifetime, like a plastic shower caddy.
Create rewards for luxuries - Reward student for good grades and similar achievements with luxuries they want, like a mini fridge if they earn straight A’s.
Use coupons - But of course! Check the retailer’s website for coupons before you shop and save the ones you receive in the mail. Make sure to get toiletries on sale and use a coupon whenever possible!
Remember, if a student really needs something s/he will keep asking for it!
LXH/Flickr
I’m scheduled to be on Martha Stewart Living radio tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. EST. That’s an early 5:30 a.m. for you west coasters!
You can hear the show on Sirius satellite radio channel 112. I’ll be sharing tips to manage back to college expenses on the Morning Living show with host Kim. If you miss the segment, I’ll write up my tips in a blog post for Wednesday.
~Julia
Michiel Van Balen/Flickr
Staples - Get a free backpack while supplies last.
Back to school deals - Here are all the back to school deals and freebies I found this week. Got any to add?
Borders – Here is a Borders coupon for 33% off most items, including online purchases. Expires July 29, 2010.
Hotel deal - Get a cheap hotel stay at Red Roof (15% 0ff) when you stay three nights, or two if you are military personnel.
Check out all the coupons and deals I share on my WalletPop blog.
My frugal friends at Savings.com (belatedly) shared these coupons.
Get $15 off $75 at Smashbox. Expiration date unknown.
Get $15 off $75 at Urban Outfitters. Expires April 28, 2010.
Get 20% off any single item at Gaiam. Expires April 30, 2010.
Get 20% off women’s apparel with free shipping at Reebok. Expires April 30, 2010.
Martin Pettitt/Flickr
My frugal friends at Savings.com shared these Easter-themed coupons and deals this week.
Get 10% off all Easter baskets at GourmetGiftBaskets.com. Expires April 9, 2010.
Get 15% off Easter Photo Cards. Expires April 15, 2010.
Get 15% off any order at 1-800Baskets. Unknown expiration date.
Get 15% Off Flowers & Gifts at 1-800Flowers. Expires May 21, 2010.
Get $8 Off Mrs. Beasley’s Easter Basket at Mrs. Beasley’s. Expires April 30, 2010.
Live in Los Angeles? Check out these deals on BargainBabeLA.com, my new site for saving money.
School supplies deals free to $.25 at Office Depot, shared by RebeccaQuinn.
Dodger tickets $7, shared by bargainbabe.
Penny enchiladas at El Torito’s every Thur after 4pm, shared by alexatbargainbabe.
Eat free at Benihana on your birthday, shared by Meital.
Free Sean Paul concert August 11, added by jlowe.
35-cent cocktails at the Edison happy hour every Friday, shared by bargainbabe.
BargainBabeLA.com is NOT a blog and there is NO email list. Instead, you visit the site when you want to share a deal – yes, I repeat, you can SHARE a deal on BargainBabeLA.com. Takes about 4 minutes and is fairly self-explanatory, but if you have questions email me.
Another reason to shop at Staples – they are giving school supplies away for a penny, which is free in my book. Yesterday Hubby returned from Staples with 10 packets of binder paper with 120 sheets each. The bill? $.10.
Teachers can get up to 25 packets for a penny each. Non-teachers are limited to 5 of the penny-freebies (not sure how Hubby talked his way into 10).
To find what’s free at your local Staples, visit their homepage and look for their weekly ad, often in the supper right corner. The penny paper deal ends Wednesday, Aug. 5.
Loading ...Are you average? According to the National Retail Federation, the average household with students in grades kindergarten through 12 is expected to spend $549, down from $594 last year.
Is it back to school season already? I’m hearing rumblings that retailers are gearing up for the annual spending spree so I called Mary, who writes The Recessionista fashion blog. She just outfitted her neice and nephew for fall. We talked about what is worth splurging for, where to go low-budget, and what everybody is going to be wearing when the first bell rings.
What back to school purchases are worth spending a little extra on?
The school stuff is definitely going to see some wear and tear. Khakis that have the better weave don’t rip as easily, they don’t catch or snag. But I’m certainly not going to spend $100 on a pair of khakis. Have you seen the new GAP khaki collection? That’s a great look for a high school girl. Those are under $100. I would go out and buy the more upscale khakis that just came out at the GAP or buy Dickies. I spend more than $20 on those.
I get the kids good backpacks. I cannot believe how much stuff these kids are carrying now. From age 6 through high school they seem to have more gear than I have. I’ll even go for an LL Bean backpack. Things that look cute don’t last. Avoid vinyl and backpacks made of mostly plastic.
Sturdy shoes. That’s an area where I spend a lot because the kids are still developing. They’ve got a long way to go before they reach the final growth spurt. They need a good heel, a good Reebok or PJ Clark shoe. I don’t want them to be getting into bad posture, especially if they are carrying books. Don’t go for flip flops or jelly shoes. When they run really fast they fall down on them, their feet sweat and they get blisters. You do want to get them a nice shoe.
What items do you spend less on?
Shirts. I’ll buy them cheap shirts, t-shirts, tank tops, and pull overs. They tear them and they stain them at an incredible rate. Tank tops and shirts at Walmart are two for $15. Also Old Navy has really has cute stuff for boys, girls and teenagers. You can find cheaper stuff that looks good.
What about accessories?
I bought butterfly hairpins for $1 each at H&M. They have cheap ponytail holders and headbands. I also like Forever 21 and Express for cheap earrings. For accessories I also see that Loehmann’s has some stuff in that area – little pearl headbands for girls to pull their hair back. It looks for upscale than it is.
How much do you spend on back to school shopping?
It varies. Honestly, there were times when I was a good Auntie and did my nephew’s total package, about $800. That’s for shoes, several pairs of pants, a backpack. It does add up. Some years I’ve had to buy him supplies, like an art box, paints and crayons. If I weren’t going to get the high end items I could probably do it for $200.
What’s in style?
The girls want the maxi dress (above). This is like a trend from the 60s that is making a huge comeback. It’s a floor-length dress. It’s loose and flowy, kind of a nice thing for summer and early fall.
Tie-dye dresses where the top is one color and the bottom is another color. Vavartos converse dresses. Target sells them. I think they are $35.
Everybody wants the good jeans. Out here in LA everybody wants the skinny jeans and the distressed jeans. The Fred Astaire hats and white plastic rimmed sunglasses. The preppy look – I don’t see so much of the preppy look. I’m seeing crisp white pants and colored tops for girls, a lot of turquoise or fuschia shirts and the smocked hippy dippy shirt.
Resources from The Recessionista:
Kohls ack-to-School Essentials Under $50
Kohls Back-to-School Trends
Under $40
Kohls Back-to-School Accessories Under $25
