Summer is getting closer to over – can you believe it?! You may not be thinking about going back to school yet, but that time of year will roll around before you know it. Preparing for a new school year can be expensive for families, but there are ways to save money on all of your back to school supplies and clothing. From comparison shopping, swapping with fellow families and more, here’s our best tips on How to Save Money on Back to School.

Now that we homeschool, it’s a bit different with school shopping – but we still need supplies, books, and of course they outgrow their clothes like crazy! With five kiddos, that sure adds up and the bank account takes a hit – but here’s five ways to save money on back to school items to help out families:

Inventory

Do inventory of everything you have, including the number of outfits each child has for school. See if what one child outgrew would fit/work for a smaller child. Once you know exactly what you have, you’ll know what you need. This can help prevent you spending money on items you don’t need in addition to making sure you don’t miss anything important.

Trade

Have family friends with kids who may be different sizes? See if they could use any clothes your kids are done with that may fit theirs – or maybe they have some for yours! Even better, try to get several families for a ‘back to school party’ where you can bring what your family no longer needs or fits, and hopefully find stuff that you can take home in exchange.

Budget

Create a back to school budget that’s realistic. Determine how much money you can spend on school supplies, clothing, etc. Knowing how much you have to spend can help prevent impulse buying because you’ll know right away how much buying extra items will make you go over your budget. Just make sure you take into account the needs vs. wants.

Deals

Keep an eye out for coupons and in-store sales from the stores you shop at most, because most will have big back to school sales. Following your favorite brand on social media is also a great way to receive discounts and to learn about any special offers that may help you save big on back to school items.

Rewards

Shop at stores that offer a rewards program, especially if you have several kids because they can really add up! These programs are designed to show loyal customers how much they appreciate your business by helping you save money. The more you shop, the more you can save.

These tips can help you save money on back to school items and get the new school year off to a great start!

Grocery Budgeting Tips

1. Make a list, and STICK TO IT. Be strict with yourself on this, or at least plan ahead for which situations you are allowed to budge on (for example, if you see an item and you FOR SURE need that for a recipe this week, and you KNOW you don’t have any). I’ll admit, I struggle with this – thus bringing us to my saving tip number two….
2. Only carry cash with you. Check sales/prices, check your list, and bring enough cash (don’t forget tax). I know that if I carry cash, I’m less likely to purchase things I don’t need because I would be horrified if I got to the register and didn’t have enough.
3. Make sacrifices, or substitutions. For example, leave the cheese off your meat sandwich and use lettuce instead. Or splurge one day a week on a ‘gourmet’ sandwich with cheese, but in exchange take pb & j another day even if it isn’t your favorite.
4. A name isn’t everything = be willing to try non-name brand items. Most of the time, I get generic-brand items for a lot less than popular brands, and really don’t notice a difference (other than the savings).
5. Try to make fewer shopping trips. I know myself well enough to know that the more trips I make the the store, the more ‘extra’ stuff I buy. Now, I cannot bring myself to shop for the whole month in one day – although that is a goal of mine to work towards. However, Danielle @ Blissful and Domestic is amazing at this, so be sure to go check her out to see how she does a whole month at once. For now, I just do one trip per week (as best as I can) – so try what you can.
6. Coupons – please know that I am Not. A. Coupon. Person. Seriously, I hate dealing with coupons, unless some kind person at the store says ‘oh, here’s a coupon for that item in your cart’ – imagine how often that happens, though. If you are then you’re my hero, and I tip my hat (not that I ever wear hats, but if I did) to you! I will note, though, that Ruth @ Living Well Spending Less says coupons aren’t where the savings are – it’s in the store sales. Go read her article for more on that – it’s GREAT!
7. The biggest saving tip FOR ME – cooking from scratch as much as possible. Now, I LOVE pre-made dinners and such that make life all the less stressful and more convenient, but it does come with a higher price tag. If you can bring yourself to do a little more from scratch, it can really add up with savings.
8. Learn which stores have the best prices for common foods. Checking the ads is a fantastic way to take care of this, especially since items can change each week. Sometimes, however, there are stores that just always (or mostly) have certain items cheaper. For me, I always buy milk at my local Aldi store because I’ve never gotten it more than $1.99 each. Compared to the other MAIN store I shop at, there’s is rarely down that low.
9. Use what you have on-hand. Yes, I know stocking up is a great thing, but also be sure you’re utilizing things instead of letting them go bad. A good idea is seeing what you have then planning meals AROUND what is already on your shelf.
10. Avoid the ‘snack packs’ and other sugary convenient kiddie snacks. I do get these sometimes, but am trying to do better. Getting on-sale produce, crackers, yogurt, etc. will not only help your budget, but also help your family be more healthy.
11. Check your local bakeries later in the evening to see if they have any mark-downs for the day they’re trying to sell.
12. Drink water. This is really REALLY hard for me! I love my Dr. Pepper, and juice. However, I AM trying to reduce my intake to only one Dr. Pepper per day, and doing mostly water the remainder. Still struggling, but progressing!
13. Purchase produce when it’s in season (thus, on sale!) and FREEZE it for later. This way, you can stock up while it’s more cost-friendly, but enjoy those fruits and veggies year round.
14. Eat at home more often. I love eating out, but my family has done really well as of late to eat at home a LOT more often, making eating out a special occasion or treat. Even then, we watch for Kids Eat Free specials, birthday deals, ‘happy hour’ dinner specials, etc.
15. Eat less meat. Meat can be really expensive, so having it less often can really help the budget. Or just exchange your normally expensive cuts for a downgrade type cut – for example, instead of boneless chicken breasts do drumsticks and thighs. Or a cheaper cut of steak instead of a Ribeye.

Bonus Grocery Budgeting Tips!

1. Go to the store WITHOUT YOUR KIDS. I have a hard time with this, since I have four little ones, but I do still try to get the shopping done when daddy is home to watch them (plus it’s a nice break for me from the mini van!). With kids, you’ll get more ‘can I get these’, whining, and be a lot more distracted.
2. Go shopping AFTER you’ve eaten. When you’re hungry, you’re more likely to buy more items and buy things you normally wouldn’t care about. Going on a full stomach can even help you realize that certain things just aren’t necessary.
3. Find a produce co-op, such as Bountiful Baskets. I started using this when we moved to our new house (had just learned of it from my Uncle), and it’s been a HUGE help with our grocery budget. You can get produce for a lot cheaper, stock up on in-season-so-low-priced items, PLUS it helps (at least it has us) your family eat more produce, which is great for your health.

What are YOUR Best Grocery Budgeting Tips?

Saving money is something that most everyone thinks about, especially when it comes to buying groceries. It seems like the cost of food continues to rise, making it more difficult to stay within a budget. Fortunately, there are several ways to save money on the foods you eat regularly – like these 7 Ways to Save on Groceries.

1. Use coupons. Couponing may be a little stressful sometimes and it does require time to keep everything organized but it can save you a lot of money each week. I’ll be honest, I focus more on other tips and ways to save on groceries than coupons, because it’s just not a fit for me 🙂

2. Try generic brands. You’ll usually pay less for generic foods and won’t be able to tell much difference, if any, between the way the generic brand and name brand products taste. If you do find that you don’t like a specific generic brand, you can always switch back.

3. Take advantage of sales. Stock up on non-perishable foods when you find them on sale – but only if they’re items you’ll REALLY use. If you have the freezer space, you can save even more if you stock up when meats go on sale. Just don’t buy more than your family can eat before the product expires.

4. Shop smarter with shopping apps. You can usually find some great coupons and discounts with these apps, but that’s not all. Some of them will tell you what items are on sale and some will even compare prices for you.

5. Always use a grocery list. You may be a bit surprised at how much money you can save when you make a shopping list and stick to it. I know, the ‘stick to it part’ is the struggle!

6. Pay attention to the unit price. This tells you exactly how much product you’re actually getting for the price. It’s the best way to compare similar products to determine which one is the better deal. Just check the price tag for cost per ounce, pound, unit, etc. Be careful, though, because the same type of foods can switch WHAT they’re comparing (one pack of ham will be per pound, another per ounce, etc.)

7. Don’t buy foods already prepared. It may seem like a good deal, but you’ll pay less for the same items if you prepare them yourself – in most cases. For example, you can buy sliced watermelon in the summer months but you’ll get more for less if you buy it whole and cut it yourself.

Saving money on groceries is easier than you might think, but you do have to put forth the effort if you want to see results. You may be a little surprised at just how much you can save on groceries once you begin implementing some of these tips into your shopping routine.

What’s your best tip to save on groceries?