![\"savingstips\"](\"http:\/\/momfactually.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/savingstips.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n* Ask for paper bags at the grocery store.<\/strong><\/p>\n Middle school and high school students often need to cover their books. Don’t buy book covers. Use paper grocery sacks follow this YouTube video tutorial<\/a> that shows you how to do it with a Trader Joe’s<\/a> bag.<\/p>\n * See if your school offers any deals.<\/strong><\/p>\n My daughter’s elementary and junior high schools have both offered a deal where parents can purchase the school supplies in advance. We write a check in May and pick up the box of supplies in August. The price works out to be less than what I would spend. Even if it was a little more, I’d probably go that route anyway to 1) save the time and gas on the shopping trips and 2) lessen the chance of my child wanting to make extraneous purchases.<\/p>\n Speaking of extraneous purchases:<\/p>\n * Stick to the list.<\/strong><\/p>\n Get only what is on the school supply list unless you are absolutely certain that your child needs it. (Chances are highly likely that if it isn’t on the list, your kid doesn’t need it.) Review with your child the difference between wants and needs before shopping.<\/p>\n One other option would be to give them $5 for items of their own choosing not on the list. And that’s it, when it’s gone, it’s gone. (I may add this just because I understand loving school supplies.)<\/p>\n * Wait, if you can.<\/strong><\/p>\n Just like with clothes, school supplies will be on sale in a couple weeks. You can stock up then for items that you use at home like crayons and construction paper, and buy a lot of them. They don’t expire.<\/p>\n