Stretch Your Dollar With These Back-to-School Savings Hacks

When you’re a mom, summer break can feel like it flies by. One minute you’re swimming, vacationing, and carting kids back and forth to camps and summer programs, and the next, you’re hunting for the best deals on backpacks, notebooks, and the perfect first-day outfit. All while trying to save some cash for the inevitable unforeseen expenses of raising kids.

Fortunately, with a little planning and a sprinkle of savvy tips, we can keep our wallets happy and get our kids everything they need to have a great school year. And guess what? The Spruce mobile banking app is here to help you save for those purchases. So, grab your coffee, a pen, and a notebook, and let’s make a list to crush back-to-school season — without breaking the bank!

First Things First: Get So Incredibly Organized

The easiest way to blow a budget is to go shopping unprepared. Take it from a former back-to-school hot mess: You can’t just walk into a store all willy-nilly and expect to leave with what you need. Gather your supply lists. Tally up the approximate cost. Download a mobile banking app like Spruce that can simplify tracking expenses and keeping a budget. Break the shopping down into small pieces and grab a few items at a time during your regular shopping trips to decrease the overwhelm.

Don’t Sleep On Tax-Free Weekend

If you live in a state that waives sales tax on school supplies once a year, wait for that tax-free weekend to buy the big stuff. When you’re investing in a laptop, tablet, or specifically requested fancy sneakers, you’ll save significantly when taxes aren’t in the mix. No tax-free weekend? That’s okay! Back-to-school sales and yard sales abound at this time of the year. Keep your eyes open for the best deals.

Use This Time To Get Your Budget & Savings In Order

Back-to-school expenses don’t exist in a vacuum. Moms have to fit it all in while managing household finances and saving money for the future. A new school year is the perfect time for a financial reset. Enter Spruce, a super-intuitive mobile banking app that provides the tools you need to simplify your financial life. Spruce allows you to manage everything on the go and track every transaction effortlessly.

There are no sign-up fees. No monthly fees. No requirement to maintain a minimum balance. You get access to thousands of fee-free ATMs†, and Spruce is full of super helpful budgeting and savings tools. Spruce even offers high-yield interest on your savings, which means you’ll start earning interest on money in your savings account after opting in. Since no minimum balance or recurring deposits are required, you can start by saving what you can when you can, and Spruce will help you build that emergency fund with a 3.50% APY‡!

Remember: High-Quality Secondhand Items Are A Better Value Than Low-Quality Brand-New Items

I’ve always allowed my kids to choose those cutesy character backpacks with matching flimsy lunchboxes, but I am so tired of how they fall to pieces in just one school year. Now I scour Facebook groups, thrift stores, and garage sales during the summer for good quality, machine-washable backpacks. A good deal on a great secondhand bag will save current and future me some cash since I can just throw it in the laundry instead of buying new year after year. And we can still include their favorite themes with cool iron-on patches!

Split The List

Sometimes, buying the whole list for every member of your crew is just not going to happen. Do you know any of the other parents in your kid’s grade? See if they want to go halfsies on bulk items. If the list calls for four glue sticks, buying a pack of eight and splitting it with another parent can cut costs for both of you. Another option? Split it with yourself! Buy half now and half at Winter break. Your kid will need some things by then anyway, and if their teacher gathers all the supplies and divvies them out to the students as needed, a refresh at Christmas will be a welcome addition to the supply closet!

Summer break may feel like a countdown to back-to-school chaos, but we can tackle it stress-free with some smart planning. If we stay organized, we can save big on things our kids need for another great school year. Getting your finances in order with Spruce makes managing your budget and savings goals a breeze — so go enjoy the rest of summer knowing you’re ready to crush back-to-school season, wallet intact!