Tips on Saving Money

Today we almost hit 100 degrees here in Atlanta. It is so hot that my kids don't even want to go outside and play but all I can think about is everything that I have to do to prepare for school starting next week.

Even though we’re in the dog days of summer, back to school season is right around the corner and many are thinking about how to save on back to school supplies. There are so many shopping tips that I have learned through the years and how you plan to shop smart this season.

1. Don't forget to look for deals online. I never considered shopping online for school supplies until I found some amazing deals on Amazon last year. I got a lot of the things that we needed for about half of what I would have spent in stores. What a deal!

2. Shop the circulars first. Every week I scour the sales ads to see what deals can be had and where. I may go to two or three stores but I plan a specific route and get only what I need at each place.

3. Consider the office supply stores. For the past several years, I have purchased my kids backpacks and lunchboxes at the office supply stores. They offer some amazing deals on these and other items as well. I never shopped office supply stores for school supplies but when shopping for three children, I find that I can get some amazing deals this way.

4. Buy during the middle of the year. There is no rule that you have to wait until right when school starts to buy supplies. You can stock up in November and December for the next year. I haven't had to buy crayons, colored pencils or glue sticks in a few years thanks to hot sales I find at the end of every year.

5. Check out the warehouse clubs. Again with buying for three children, I always seem to score some great deals at Sam's or Costco. All three kids need things like tissues, Ziploc bags, hand sanitizer, hand soap and disinfectant wipes for their classrooms. These things always seem to be cheapest for me when purchased in bulk. Anything left over gets used in my household.