“Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I may receive a commission.”

Now that schools back you may be wondering if there’s anything you can do to lower the cost of all the back to school supplies you need. Here is my quick guide on how to save money at this time of year.

1. Step one seems obvious, but it can often be forgotten. Ask the school for a list showing what school supplies are needed for the year your child is in. Without knowing what you need, you are likely to over or under supply.
2. Take inventory of what you already have at home. If your child is already at school, can some of the items remaining from last year be reused this year? It may be the start of the year, but does your child really need new school shoes right now? Or a new pencil case? I’m sure last years calculator is still fine for this year. Reusing items may even teach your child to appreciate and look after their belongings.
3. Uniforms can be a costly. My first bit of advice is to ask your school if the uniform needs a logo on it. I can buy most of my uniform items at Best & Less for less than half the price of the items in the uniform shop, and they come with a 100 day guarantee! You could also see if your school sells second hand items, my school sells their second hand items for $2 each. If your school doesn’t sell second hand items, check your local Facebook pages and thrift stores/opshops, even ask other parents what they’ll be doing with their uniforms once their children have outgrown them, many are happy to pass them on to you.
4. Label everything! This may seem like an unnecessary expense right now, but replacing missing items is costly. Stores like Bright Star Kids sell label packages that look great and you can get several designs at once. They also have an eye-catching range of bags, clothing and stationery. If you don’t have a label, use a pen or permanent marker, just make sure you get your name on everything, you’d be surprised at how quickly things “disappear” at school.
5. Check out cash back programs. My favourite is Cashrewards, you can get cashback or discounts from over 1200 retailers. I buy a lot of my supplies from Woolworths or Big W. Why? Because I know I can log on to Cashrewards and buy a discounted (5%) e-giftcard and have it emailed to me in 5 minutes. I can then use that e-gift card in store or online. If I shop online I can get a further 1.75% cashback credited to my account.
6. Shop the sales in preparation for next year and if you come across any terrific specials, stockpile that item (if you’ll use it). Pencils, pens, glue sticks are all items you’ll definitely need at some point. So buy them and stock up when you see them on special.

I hope these tips help! Have a wonderful new school year and happy shopping!