School Expenses & Supplies Page

How to Save on School Expenses and Supplies Super Page.

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This School Expenses & Supplies Page contains a growing list of money-saving tips to help you save on Back-To-School Expenses and Supplies

Stress-Free School Supplies

Are you stressed and don’t have time to run around town to pick up all of the school supplies your child needs? Okay, here’s the easiest way to get it done inexpensively.

  • List   Get a list from your school’s website
  • Ads   Sit down with the newspaper ads and your child’s school supply list. Make a list of the cheapest items at each store that you need to pick up (along with the store’s name).
  • Shop   Pack up your hit list with the ads and head to Walmart. Pick up all the sale items on your list and head to the checkout.
  • Price Match   Tell the checker that you want to “Ad Match” the items. As the checker rings them up simply tell them the sale price and which store advertised it. You’ll get the lowest advertised price on all of your items and only have to go to one store. What could be easier?
  • Smile   You just save a boatload of money and a couple hours of time!

It’s so simple you’ll wonder why you never tried this before.   Steve & Annette – Scottsdale, AZ


Related Article: Save on Back to School Supplies


Two Door File Cabinet Desk

We needed to set up a work/school area in one of our older girl’s rooms.  We didn’t have a desk, but we did have an old door and an idea. So we set out to find a couple of two-drawer filing cabinets at garage sales or in the newspaper. It took a couple of weeks, but we soon found a couple of filing cabinets at a good price. We set them up with enough space between them so a chair could slide in, put the door on top and we were in business.   Ruth Ann Irvine – Scottsdale, AZ

Salvaging School Supplies

When our children were school age, I would collect all of their leftover school supplies as soon as they arrived home on the last day of school. This allowed me to salvage whatever could be used for the following school year and start planning what would need to be replaced. Buying new supplies was spread out through the summer, which avoided a crunch just before school resumed and allowed me to watch for the best deals on items we needed.   Cindy Gruner-Morrisville – VT


Related Article: Stores that Will Price Match Amazon Today!


Senior Portrait/ School Expense Savings

How to save money on high school senior portraits

High school senior portraits are so expensive that it pays to shop around. The studio your school selects will take your student’s photo for the yearbook free of charge, even if you don’t order the rest of your photos from them.

Shopping for Senior Portrait options saved us money

We shopped around and found significant savings. We had our son’s pictures taken at J.C. Penney. They did a terrific job . . . and by using an online coupon we received (3) 8×10’s, (3) 5×7’s, (4) 3 1/2×5’s, (18) wallets, and (9) billfolds. (1) 8×10, one 5×7, (3) wallets, and (3) billfolds are imprinted with his name and his graduation year.

We paid no sitting fee, had 2 outfits, and could have all pictures emailed to us for an additional $5 (we didn’t choose the email option).

Our Cost vs the School Photographer’s cost

Abbey Economides Senior Portrait
Abbey Economides Senior Portrait

Our total cost was $41.05. The closest package the school’s studio offered for two poses had (2) 8X10’s, (4) 5X7’s, (4) 3 1/2X5’s, (32) wallets for $229. They also charge a sitting fee of $15, but they often waive that with special promotions. The online proofs cost $10 and they charge $19.95 per script (name and or year on the picture).

The only drawback was the lack of some props. J.C.Penney’s did not have the big graduation numbers that are popular for senior pictures. That is why I had the year inscribed on some of the pictures.   Debbie Kamiaz – Phoenix, AZ

Editors’ Notes: Senior portraits are a milestone event for most kids, but they don’t have to cost hundreds of dollars. If you can only afford a minimal package, don’t feel bad, but you might want to research other sources outside of your child’s school.

Prices have changed since this tip was submitted, but the idea is still the same. Research outside options like Sears and JC Penney’s and look for coupons; you’ll find great savings. Another option is to find a friend who does photography as a hobby and pay him or her to shoot some photos—that’s what our daughter Abbey did.


Related Article: Save on Back to School Clothes


Another Page you will like is our School Options Page.
Click on the following link to see Free Educational websites for kids!

If you have a school supply money-saving tip to share, please leave it in the comments below and we’ll review it for posting on this page.

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