CHARLOTTE — We probably don’t have to tell you back-to-school shopping can add up.
According to the National Retail Federation estimates the average family will spend almost $900 on basic school supplies, clothes, and electronics this year.
The group said that would be the second most since it started surveying parents about this.
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So Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke has 12 tips to help you save as much as you can:
- Don’t forget about student discounts. See if your kid’s ID gets you money off.
- Consider thrifting.
- Don’t forget office supply stores. They have some great deals.
- Don’t forget about coupons. Try CouponCabin, RetailMeNot, and specific stores’ websites. An extreme couponer told Stoogenke she’s a fan of Coupons.com and P&GGoodEveryday. And her favorite rebate apps are Checkout51, Fetch Rewards, and Ibotta.
- See what you already have at home. You probably have leftover supplies from last year or hand-me-downs from older siblings.
- Use what are called browser extensions. You can add custom features to your web browser. Two popular ones are Camelizer and PayPal Honey.
- When it comes to tech, consider refurbished items.
- See if anyone is giving away what you need on platforms like BuyNothing and Nextdoor.
- See if other parents want to buy in bulk with you.
- Save your receipts. You may see a better deal before school starts.
- Remember you have other shopping holidays coming up, like Labor Day and Columbus Day, if your student can wait that long.
- Credit cards. It may be time to use those rewards if you can. And for a major purchase, like electronics, you may want to open a new credit card, one offering 0% interest. Just make sure you read the fine print and are prepared to pay it off.
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