How to Not Blow Your Budget Back-to-School Shopping
Phew! You’ve almost made it. Through summer camps and pool days, barbecues and fireworks, summer is coming to a close - which can only mean one thing: back-to-school season is here!
Between backpacks, notebooks, and that one accessory your kid “needs,” shopping for the first day can make your wallet cry out in distress. But with a little planning (and maybe a little help from your friendly neighborhood ecoATM), you can get everything on their list without breaking the bank.
Check the Inventory
How is last year’s backpack holding up? Any boxes of pencils tossed in the back of a drawer? Did two of the seven notebooks they were required to have last year make it home unscathed? Start with what you already have to see if you can check anything off your list.
Turn Clutter into Cash
While you’re going through those drawers, do you have any old smartphones lying around? With a little trip to ecoATM, those used phones could become cash in your pocket for back-to-school. Use the Price Your Device tool to see how much your device is worth and lock in an offer. Then stop by one of over 7,500 kiosks at retailers like Walmart, Kroger, and Dollar General, and in just 7 minutes you can turn those phones into instant cash. Your drawer gets a little extra space, and you get cash in your pocket for your back-to-school shopping.
Skip the Tax
Many states in the US have dedicated tax-free holidays specifically to help you save on your back-to-school shopping. These holidays eliminate sales tax on things like clothing, school supplies, and even electronics. Not all states participate, and some stores may still apply local city taxes where applicable, but every little bit helps. Visit your state’s taxation and revenue website for details.
Hit Up the Veteran Parents
Maybe the mom whose youngest finally made it to high school has a box of crayons collecting dust in a cabinet, or the new empty nester has a room filled with an empty bed frame and a perfectly usable graphing calculator. Your friends with older kids could be sitting on a gold mine of school supplies that just never made it into the classroom. Ask around - you could find something great and help them declutter their own house in the process. Just be sure to bake them a batch of cookies or bring over a bottle of wine to say thanks.
The Bottom Line
Back-to-school shopping doesn’t have to send your budget into a tailspin. Shop your own drawers first, cash in those forgotten phones at ecoATM, time your big purchases around your state’s tax-free holiday, and lean on the veteran parents who’ve been there. A little planning goes a long way - and this year, you just might start the school year with a fuller wallet and one very impressed kid. Now go soak up those last few days of summer. You’ve earned them!
