• Spread Out the Shopping: To save the most money, you won’t want to get everything done in one trip.  Head in to either Walmart/Target with a price match plan or to the office supply stores to grab each weeks top deals.  

• Start Early: Back to school sales start as early as mid-July. In general you can guess what your kiddos need and you’ll probably be 95% spot on.  What did you use when you were 6?  Crayons, Pencils, Markers…Starting before you have the “official” list may seem dangerous.  If you end up grabbing an extra pack of pencils at 10¢ a pack it’s not nearly as bad as paying $2 for 1 pack the night before. And there is no harm in stockpiling extra supplies either!
• Make Your Own List: Go ahead and make a list of what you think they can use.  On your list make sure to include some necessary items to help outside of school too.  Think of it as the school and homework supplies list.

• Shop Around or Price Match: You will find the best school supply deals @ Target, Walmart, Staples, Office Max and Office Depot.  They run the best deals but, have the smallest supply.  If the products are national brands i.e. Crayola crayons and not Staples crayons then you can get those 25¢ crayons at Walmart or Target.  Both stores will price match any local competitor for any identical product!  Keep in mind they will still enforce any limits that were in the original stores ad.
• Don’t Forget Coupons:  Be sure to keep an eye online and in the Sunday paper for coupons on back to school items. Crayola offers printable coupons, BIC Paper Mate and Sharpie will put coupons in the Sunday papers and some online to print. You’ll also see store coupons off total purchases or specific items.  Be sure to check Valpak.com for more coupons for all your back to school needs.
• Quality Is Worth It: A higher quality back pack, lunch box and even binders are a good investment.  My son tends to be tough on his backpacks and he is now in middle school and I invested in an even better backpack for him.
• Tax Savings Shopping: If your state has tax free shopping days, then take advantage of them for larger purchases.  The savings are not worth it on the little tiny items you are buying over the next few weeks, but for backpacks, uniforms, graphing calculators etc. this can be a nice savings.  The stores also go big over these special weekends with good sales and store coupons.
• Think Used For Some Items: Check out ebay for used items- calculators, clothing, e-readers, uniforms, etc.

Valpak wants to help you get ready for back to school. You could win a $1,000 Back to School Backpack, filled with everything your child needs to start school off right! Click below!

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This post is sponsored by Valpak.