When the season of back-to-school comes around, do you get into sticker shock? Does it feel like once you opened your wallet, you already bid your money goodbye? Aside from the standard items like papers and pencils, students from kindergarten through the 12th grade often need or want pricer things like headphones and laptops.

Try to save up on your school supplies with these helpful back to school shopping tips!

Tip #1. Timing is everything.

Try to shop early, but not too early. It’s more likely that your kids would want to buy for school supplies on the first day of summer. But, of course, you wouldn’t want these things sitting around the house all summer long, and potentially be used up or lost even before school starts.

If you already have your child’s list of stuff to buy over the summer, you can start shopping as soon as you see school supplies go on sale. In case you wait too long, the best bargains might sell out.

Tip #2. Look ahead.

If you haven’t got your child’s school supplies list during summer, you need not worry about missing out on the back-to-school sales. You can already buy sale items that you know they will need or something that eventually can be used in the household.

Think about papers, pens, glue, pencils, and lunchboxes. Just remember to keep your receipt in the event that you need to exchange something, like if you bought a college-ruled paper, but it turns out that your kid needs a wide-ruled one.

Tip #3. Buy big.

If you can, buy supplies in bulk for the whole year. The things listed on the teachers’ need-to-buy guides are typically meant to start kids out. They eventually will need refills on notebooks, pencils, paper, etc. all year round.

In a few months into the school year, you’ll find that the same glue sticks that you spent a quarter on in August are now worth a dollar and ninety-nine for a two-pack. Therefore a thrifty move is to stock up for the whole year and put it away in somewhere safe.

Tip #4. Always check your list.

Remember to read your school supplies list carefully, as when teachers ask for particular things, they usually mean it. From a grown-up point of view, it can seem like another item can be a close enough alternative to the requested supply, most especially when it’s cheaper.

But know that school is a more regimented place than the ordinary adult world. Teachers frequently have organizational causes to request specific things. So, if you don’t want to waste money spending on the wrong item, take the list literally and save your receipts in case of exchanges.

Tip #5. Work on a budget.

It’s best if you inform your kids first that you’re on a limited budget before going shopping. As kids, most can be resistant to recycling and reusing last year’s lunchbox or backpack or to wear old clothes. Maybe they are eyeing that newly-released binder that everyone has this year.

If this is your kids’ attitude towards buying supplies, emphasize that you’re working on a budget and that if they want an item upgrade, they will have to chip in. You can also let them choose the things to reuse and which to purchase new.

And that’s it! Use these ways to save on back to school supplies shopping and allocate the money for other things like paying your professional cleaning service for an excellent job of tidying up your home during the spree!