In a featured article coming up on The Dollar Stretcher next week Pat says, "Yikes. Didn't the kids just get out of school? Nevertheless, it's time to start thinking about saving on back to school clothes and other items".

Read the rest of what Pat has to say about frugal back to school shopping.

Now I challenge you to shop as frugally as you can! Tell us about your shopping lists and the hunt for a deal.

I don't believe in school shopping.  When my child needs something, she gets it or earns it.  When she out grows her clothes, she has a stash that she has picked out from rummage sales.  She is a middle schooler and prides herself on her savvy $$$ sense.  While her friends pay $60 for a certain brand of jeans, she pays $.50 to $2 for that brand.  We already have tons of paper, pencils, notebooks, backpacks, and binders.  If she wants something we don't have, she pays for it herself.  Basically we buy things when needed, not because school starts.

 I pretty much do the same as Viola in that I shop when my kids need clothes, not because it's a new school year.  I do have to buy the items on the school supply list that we can't reuse from last year or that were not returned.  I don't shop garage sales for their clothes only because I can't find their sizes without holes or stains in my area.  I shop clearance racks at the end of the season for the next year.  There is a second hand store where my mom lives that has great clothes and I go there first when the kids need something that I don't have already in my storage of clearance finds.

I can see how back to school can get expensive fast!  Especially with activities/sports that start up again and as the kids get older, they need more supplies or have more projects they have to work on that cost more money.  Plus, often, they grow out of their entire wardrobe from the year before!

DS is starting Kindergarten this year.  They sent a supply list in the mail for items they are asking each student to provide.  It doesn't have a huge amount on it but it is very specific regarding brands and items.  I've got about half of it so far, was waiting for back to school sales but will probably pick up the rest this week so I don't have to worry about it later (after I have the baby).

I did pick up some clearance clothing for DS at the end of last winter but not much . . . he has some jeans and some long sleeved tees but has grown out of everything from last year.  It doesn't get cold here till November, sometimes not till the end of November, so unless I see a great deal, I don't plan to buy him much in the near future.  I will sort his clothes from last year though and sell anything worth selling on ebay so that I can use the money to buy things he needs for this year.

My mom likes to take him back to school shopping.  She takes him on a special outing, just the two of them, lets him pick an outfit or two, some school supplies and takes him to lunch.  She has done this the past 2 years for preschool and said she wants to do it again for him this year too.  She says that she wants that to be something she does with each of her grandkids every year.  It's a nice thing for us too!  She always asks if there is anything specific he needs.

I bought his backpack and lunch box last week.  Spent a little more than usual but this one should hold up much better than the cheapies I've been buying that don't even last the school year.

One concern I do have is the activities side of things.  He has already mentioned wanting to play soccer and take karate.  The soccer team doesn't cost much and the karate classes are affordable but it's the extras that start to add up with that kind of stuff!  For soccer, he'll need cleats, knee guards, the team socks and shirt.  For karate, he'll need the uniform (though the school I talked to said it's not something you have to buy right away, let him try it out first for a bit to make sure he likes it before purchasing any equipment or uniforms.)  But it's all those things that add up!

viola61:

I don't believe in school shopping.

I find the back to school sales are the cheapest time to get certain items so I stock up for the year on supplies. The beginning of school falls in line with a seasonal change so I find it cheaper to pick up jeans and other fall items we have to buy new then.

Stacycue:

I shop clearance racks at the end of the season for the next year

When my oldest two were younger, they grew slow enough to really take advantage of this. I had to stop doing this with my middle child as he has gone through three sizes this past year. I have no idea what size he will end up needing in advance. I can still do this with my youngest, thankfully.

jennylyn:

He has already mentioned wanting to play soccer and take karate

If he has never done these activities before, he may want to start with one rather than both. Multiple activities that are physically demanding and somewhat time consuming can turn out to be too difficult to manage. Once he is "in the swing" of one and the scheduling is well in hand, maybe you will want to add in the other.

I too take advantage of the fall sales for things like jeans and such even though he won't need them till several months later.  This year though, I am only going to buy if the deals are REALLY good in the fall sales as I don't want to spend too much extra right now.

DS won't be starting both soccer and karate at the same time, I don't think.  Soccer starts at the end of August and goes thru October.  He'll join karate towards the end of that or after if he still wants too.  He's done soccer before-this year and the last time he did it have been more "play" type teams.  No practices, just a once a week unscored game.  Kind of an introductory type of thing.  This team though, because the kids are older, do require more equipment for safety and they also get to wear the same uniform as the big kids who are playing their games at the same time.  I think he'll love it, luckily we won't get bogged down with too many practices and such quite yet!!  Introductory for the parents too!

Brandy:

Stacycue:

I shop clearance racks at the end of the season for the next year

When my oldest two were younger, they grew slow enough to really take advantage of this. I had to stop doing this with my middle child as he has gone through three sizes this past year. I have no idea what size he will end up needing in advance. I can still do this with my youngest, thankfully.

 

Yeah, I think I'm at the end of being able to do this with my oldest son.  He's 11, going on 12, and I have a feeling he will start growing like a weed.

I just saw a commerical for a title loan company using "back to school" shopping as their lure for getting a loan on a car title. Specifically they have an actress on the commerical with the back-to-school list saying, "Pens? Pencils? Paper? Backpack? Computer? And the tuba? How can I pay for all this?"

The whooshing sound you hear is my double-take.

Who would put their car on the line to get their child a certain outfit or a certain backpack? Every family I know has daily computer access, if not multiple computers in their own home, and if you can't afford the tuba, you can't afford the tuba. You don't pawn your car for a tuba!

Please tell me there aren't people out there getting title loans for back-to-school shopping.