The Ultimate Back To School Savings Guide
Estimated reading time: 22 minutes
Back-to-school savings in this guide are essential for parents or students facing a heavy debt load when they graduate.
No Stress Savings Back-To-School Guide
Get Your back-to-school budget ready because store shelves are stocked and waiting for you to spend money.
The back-to-school promotion campaigns drooling for your hard-earned money are on as almost every store in Canada is ready for its biggest sales event in August.
I’ve been in and out of the education system over the years, and with this experience, I’ve come up with some frugal ways to keep back-to-school expenses low.
This is just a fair warning, but a beverage is essential when reading this post because it’s longer than usual.
I’d suggest reading for those of you who want to stick to a limited school budget.
Back to School Tip #1
Don’t get a credit card!
You don’t need one, primarily if you’ve worked your butt off all summer and saved money.
All a credit card will do is create debt you don’t need, especially if you have student loans to pay back.
Stick to personal financial safety and walk away from the credit card.
By now, you should already have your back-to-school accommodations in place.
Still, if not, you better get networking and searching online ads and Facebook groups or contact your College or University for housing leads.
For students returning to elementary or high school, count your blessings if you are still living at home rent-free.
One day, that may all vanish, and you’ll have the added stress of finding somewhere to live when you set off for school.
Unless, of course, you can live at home because your University or College happens to be in the same city or within driving distance.
Back To School Budget
This is the most important part of back-to-school savings because you will most likely spend more than needed without one.
Understanding where your money is going is important because it can quickly get out of hand with anything related to returning to school.
Just listen to how often a salesperson tries to up-sell your products for technology-based products you buy, including an extended warranty.
We used to calculate how much money I needed to return to school for the year and use that as a guide for the following years.
For most years, I didn’t spend nearly much on back-to-school supplies since I was always challenging my frugal ways.
Even though we didn’t have a specific budget like we do today, we did track some numbers, and my back-to-school experience was one of them.
How did we do it?
We did it the old-fashioned way using a pencil and paper, but thankfully, now we have a budget spreadsheet free to all Canadian Budget Binder subscribers.
Hey, that’s you, so make sure you download our budget!
Related: Get your Back to School Budget ready now!
Back To School Employment
Not everyone has parents who can pay for their education, which means taking out a student loan, also known as OSAP, is the reality.
Not all student loans are created equally, meaning you may have to find a job to get you through school.
Always be upfront with a potential employer and let them know you are a student looking for work.
Related: Paying back OSAP loans fast
Many parents who return to school may babysit on their days off or work somewhere part-time to bring in some extra cash for the family.
It’s not easy, but finding a job as soon as possible keeps you afloat financially if you need money while going to school.
Back To School Shopping
August is the best month for back-to-school shopping since school starts at the beginning of September, right after Labour Day.
Your weekly flyers will get thicker in August, and page after page screams Back to School sales.
There’s no need to get into a back-to-school shopping panic by booking a shopping day dedicated to just that.
When parents do this, they spend more money than they need to.
As an adult who returned to school, I shopped all year for supplies, clothing, and other student needs that were part of my budget.
There was no way I was paying the total price for anything but my bus pass and school tuition this time.
When we wait until the stores say GO, it’s time to shop back to school; we either buy too much or pay too much.
Not all back-to-school shopping deals are created, as you may have found out already.
End-of-season sales are a great way to stock up for next year or semester.
Back To School Deals
Returning to school is a big deal for anyone at any age, especially regarding back-to-school fashion, supplies, accommodations, transportation, and learning to budget.
I don’t know of any student who doesn’t own a smartphone these days.
Put that technology to good use and find the savings that will help you get back to school with all of your student’s needs to be met.
For example, go through Rakuten for excellent cash back if you shop online.
Related: 4 Ways to Lower Your Family’s Back-to-School Budget
Shop Early For The Best Back To School Deals
If you want to get the best bang for your back-to-school buck, you must start looking for what you need early.
Don’t wait until the last minute to secure an apartment, residence, or living arrangements with family or friends.
School is a significant weight on anyone’s shoulders, and you don’t want to be house hunting while your friends are getting educated.
As a former adult student who returned to school in a new country, I learned how to stay frugal, motivated, and focused on the end goal.
I also understood what I struggled with the first time I went to University: fitting in with other students while living on a low-income budget.
As I was sitting on the floor playing with our son last night, my wife was in the kitchen cooking and asked me if I still spoke to my friends from school.
I didn’t have to think about it because the answer was no.
I didn’t go to school this time to make friends; I went to get an education.
Yes, I had friends, and we chatted, but there was no partying, shopping, or hitting up the latest nightlife scenes.
All I wanted to do was graduate and secure a job in my field.
Letting loose is excellent for anyone, but do that too much, and you may find your student loan money or savings disappear faster than they should.
Since we are weeks from a new school year, I thought I’d put together the Ultimate Back to School Guide to get you started saving money so your student budget doesn’t feel too much financial pain.
Related: Back to school budget for the financially savvy student
Back To School Supplies
Some pretty cool back-to-school supplies are on the market, but most are a waste of money.
As long as you have back-to-school basic supplies such as paper, binders, dividers, pencils, rulers, calculators, paint, markers, crayons, pencil crayons, erasers, and glue, you can still graduate.
All you need is the effort.
We waste so much money on back-to-school supplies and lose sight of the real reason we go to school: to learn.
No one cares if you have a Roots pencil case that costs you $25, so stash your money for a rainy day and buy one for a buck at the Dollar Store.
The best places to find back-to-school supplies are Dollar stores, Garage Sales, and Second-hand shops.
You can buy bags filled with school supplies for $2.99 at Value Village.
If you are looking for specific back-to-school supplies, keep an eye on the flyer sales, price match, collect rewards points, and save as much as possible.
Most places also have student discounts, so you may score even further deals if you can wait until you get a student card.
Back to school for University and College students means buying costly textbooks; however, you don’t always have to buy new ones.
Look for students selling their textbooks, check out your school library for listings and sales, and chat with your professor to see what you need to buy.
Sometimes, the profs will have excellent tips or even know students who may be selling their textbooks for cheap.
Back To School Fashion
The last time I checked back to school, fashion meant simply wearing clothes to school.
Whether you have a school uniform or not, there should never be rules about what you should wear to be with the in-crowd.
Parents should encourage children to dress for success in clothes that make them feel empowered.
Almost every employer has a dress code in the working world, so keeping your back-to-school wardrobe in line with casual wear is a great starting point.
If you are required to wear a uniform to school, scour the used online ads or newspaper-for-sale ads to see if any graduates are selling their used school uniform for cheap.
You don’t always have to buy a brand-new uniform to go to school.
Shoes can be purchased at outlet stores, online shopping, or watching the flyer deals.
Many sports stores offer buy one get one free or 50% off back-to-school sales for students.
Before you tackle any shopping trip for back-to-school clothes, always take inventory of what you or your child already has.
This way, you aren’t doubling up on articles of clothing you already have.
Not all parents have the money to splurge on high-end fashions for their kids, so if you want, create your own.
Second-Hand Back To School Shopping
Hit up the local second-hand shops, garage sales, online auctions, Kijiji, or any place to score some great clothing deals to get you ready for back to school.
You may also have friends or family who have hand-me-downs that they could pass to you for free or a small price compared to shopping the sales.
Plus! Every second-hand shop has a back-to-school 50% off sale, so don’t miss that day. Lots of money to be saved.
If fashion accessories are what you’re after, second-hand shops are dripping with them.
There are racks and racks of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, wallets, purses, and belts for a fraction of the cost of brand new.
Just be you!
School Breakfast Ideas
OnFood costs are one of the most significant expenses after housing and education costs as a student or parent.
When I went to school as a child and adult, there was never a day I didn’t take time to sit and eat breakfast.
My favorite breakfast is a hot bowl of oats with brown sugar and a banana or yogurt on the side.
It woke me up and kept me going almost all day, whether I had lunch or not.
When you are living alone, keep living alone; mornings are hectic, so you should pack your sort beforehand.
Parents with young children and teenagers should follow suit, especially packing lunches after dinner or before bed.
If you are running late in the morning, grabbing a snack, and already preparing, lunch is more accessible than holding nothing or wasting time making your lunch.
Your focus in the morning should be getting ready and eating breakfast, full-stop.
Some of you may exercise in the morning or read the newspaper, but that’s all part of time management, so fit it in accordingly.
Budget-friendly Breakfast Ideas that are quick and delicious will also depend on your dietary needs.
If eggs are a huge part of your day, find a local egg farmer who sells eggs for less than the grocery store.
Simple Breakfast Ideas
Priority for me: Coffee!
- Oatmeal
- Cereal
- Fruit, Yogurt, Nuts
- Toast and jam, peanut butter, cream cheese
- Bagels with toppings
- Eggs with cheese and toast
- Breakfast sausages and eggs
- Everyone loves bacon in moderation
- Omelet with vegetables and cheese
- Pancakes, Waffles
- Avocado chocolate pudding
- Smoothies
- Breakfast Muffin
Back To School Snacks
Everyone likes a treat when they go to school because our brains get tired quickly, and there is only so much coffee one can drink.
When you or your child returns to school, you’ll want to make simple snacks to grab.
Related: Back To School Snack Ideas For Your Kids
- Fruits and vegetables with dips
- Canned fruits or applesauce
- Muffins
- Bagel with cream cheese
- Mixed nuts
- Yogurt
- Milk and cookies
- Peanut butter and crackers
- Crackers and cheese
- Cheese cubes or strings
- Raisins
- Pretzels or tortilla chips
- Homemade granola bars
- Olives
- Pickles
Making snacks at home is cheaper than buying pre-packaged. It’s also healthier because you can control the ingredients to create your recipes.
Check out my Free Recipe Index for many snack ideas and other budget-friendly recipes that are easy for the home cook.
Pack your snacks in reusable containers or baggies that are easy to transport.
We use Tupperware products, which are great for food; although pricey, you can find them used at second-hand shops for far less than retail.
Back To School Lunch Ideas
I always brought a few snacks when I returned to school, but that’s not always an option for some people.
The kiddos want to bring a packed lunch that is filling and nutritious.
Shopping the sales flyers and using coupons and coupon apps are still great ways to score grocery deals.
Sending your child to school or packing your lunch with any of the options below is a great way to keep energy levels up until dinner.
Wash any back-to-school lunch ideas with water, juice o, or milk.
Lunch Ideas For Back-To-School
Check out my Free Recipe Index for tons of lunch ideas and this fantastic 100 School Lunch Round-up by Lisa over at 100 Days of Real Food for more back-to-school lunch ideas.
- Pasta in a thermos with crackers
- Soup in a thermos with a sandwich or crackers
- Ham and cheese sandwich
- Bagel with cream cheese
- Sliced vegetables with dip, cheese, and crackers
- Croissant, bun, or sliced bread sandwich with ham and cheese, tuna salad, egg salad, luncheon meats, and cheeses.
- Garden salads with dressing, nuts, and other toppings
Pack your lunch in a reusable bag, container, or recyclable paper bag.
Back To School Grocery Shopping
Not all students live on campus and have a meal plan that allows them to show their student card to eat 2-3 meals a day at the campus cafeteria.
If you don’t have a meal plan, cafeteria food can get pricey if that’s where you plan to eat.
Growing up, my mom made lunch at home, so we would walk home from school to have lunch.
Alternatively, she would send us simple foods and snacks that were easy to make and relatively healthy.
As an adult, I was always in the kitchen cooking food, so I did lots of grocery shopping and saving.
If my roommates went out for dinner and asked me to go, I’d either go and buy a drink or politely decline.
I wasn’t into spending money I didn’t have or had little of, and neither should you.
If you live with roommates, they may want to split the cost of grocery shopping with you; however, I would probably stick to buying your own.
When roommates opt to split the costs of things, they get out of hand down the road.
This leads to arguments, which may lead to one or more roommates moving out.
Grocery shopping is easy but scary if you’ve never done it before and your parents are nowhere to be found.
You’re on your own now.
Always go grocery shopping armed with a grocery list, and never shop hungry.
Read my Ultimate Grocery Shopping Guide for all the tips and tricks to get you into the grocery store and come out with savings.
Back To School Tips
We’ve all done something silly at College, University, and even middle school when buying stuff we don’t need or situations that could have been avoided.
Don’t create any more debt than you need to when you go back to school.
That’s my only back-to-school tip.
Finally, parents motivate children by teaching them that we are all the same no matter what we have or wear to school.
The same goes for high school students and those attending University or college.
Worry about yourself and make like-minded friends who want to graduate, and I bet you will look back and thank yourself one day.
Always wear your winter gear to school, especially the little ones, because if they get ill, you may have to take a day off to nurse them back to health.
This may lead to lost wages if your employer excuses you without pay or the inability to use a vacation day or sick day if available.
Share your back-to-school tips for those returning to classes in September in the comment section below.
Trouble I Got Into This Week
I’ve kept busy while on vacation from work, even though most of my time off has been a staycation with the family.
We plan to visit the African Lion Safari and the in-law’s cottage near Barrie, Ontario, which I look forward to.
After spending a few days at the in-laws, we returned with boatloads of organic vegetables, so this week was about cleaning and eating as much as possible.
We are always worried about those darn fruit flies, and you know what, they are here.
Related: How to kill fruit flies…dead!!
All we have left to eat are a few tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant.
We made a spiral zucchini pasta with pork tomato sauce the other day, and I can’t wait to share that recipe with all of you.
I’m in love with our new Starfrit spiralizer machine that we picked up 50% off at Canadian Tire this past week.
In blog news, head over to Liberty Paperwork Solutions, where I share some financial tips that continue to help us stay in the money game.
Read 9 Money Experts Share Tips for Managing Money.
I only published two posts this week as I’m on holiday and taking a break from blogging where I can.
Thanks to Pauline for sharing a contribution post on the blog this week with her insights about financial independence.
I’m on holiday for another week, so there won’t be a Sunday recipe this week, but I will resume the following Sunday.
Nicola D is back in the house whipping up new recipes, so be on the lookout for deliciousness coming your way.
How was your week?
Excellent Posts Published This Week
If you’ve missed any of my blog posts this week, I will share them all below.
If you want to share a story via a Fan Question, please ensure that there are a minimum of 500 words and lots of details…we love details!
I’m happy to chat via email to bring your story to life.
Right now, CBB is posting on Tuesday (Grocery Game Challenge), Thursday (Personal Finance Post), Saturday (Personal Finance and Weekly Wrap-Up and a Frugal Recipe on Sunday!
Top Post This Week: How to make money fast without going out of control
- Investing Returns Pave The Way To Financial Independence
- 5 Critical Pointers To Slash Your Costly Eating Habits
Reader Budget Brags
Join the Budget Brag Challenge 2016 and WIN!!!
You got WHAT for HOW Much?
What I love the most is when my fans share their excellent shops with me, whether it be groceries or other deals they find at a garage sale, online, or freebies!
Send me your Budget Brag, and you will automatically get entered into a yearly draw for a surprise gift card.
Every submission gets a ballot in the draw, but you get an extra vote if your brag is featured.
Send your brags with a photo, and tell me about your deals.
If you reside in the USA and win, I will Pay you the money.
Open to Canada and USA residents only.
Email me at canadianbudgetbinder@yahoo.ca
Hey Mr. CBB,
There were a few garage sales that I made my way to this morning to find these frugal treasures.
Thanks, Jen P.
- Treasure troll and McDonald’s Lego toy $.25
- Gift tissue paper, children’s play shaving set (will be a Christmas gift) and hairspray $3
- Perfection game, “Where’s Waldo?” book and “What Will I Do If I Can’t Tie My Shoe” book $1.50 (asking was $4.50)
- Blue Jay’s shirt and pencil case $1
- Markers, paper, foot care tool, nail brush, and bubbles $3
Total spent: $8.75
Making a Difference (MAD)
Welcome to the 2016 Making A Difference series! Join the networking movement of Personal Finance Bloggers around the world.
If you are a personal finance blogger (anywhere worldwide) and want your blog to be MAD featured, email me, and I’ll explain the process.
I am pleased to share the personal finance blog, Homely Economics.
Homely Economics
Hey there, CBB Fans!
What can I say about me? I’m in my thirties, married, and a mum to one.
I’m also from many places – originally from Barbados, but I’ve lived in the US and the UK. Long stories!
Personal finance is a new interest for me. I’m from a low-income family, and as I grew up, I realized that money wasn’t for people like us.
People around me worked hard but never seemed to have much. That was how the world was.
I was always thrifty because I never assumed I could earn much and never wanted to be in debt.
When I got married a few years ago, I faced a significant challenge – how to fulfill my new husband’s dream of owning our own house.
I started to crunch numbers and think hard about money for the first time.
We turned saving money into a family project, writing down everything we spent from the beginning of 2014.
I got more excited as I turned over more ideas, tricks, and hacks; I even kept a monthly journal for my extra income!
After a year and a half, plenty of research on my part, and loads of scrimping, we finally put down a £15,000 deposit on our house – a massive amount for us!
Through that savings project, I finally felt financially empowered.
I knew every penny going in and out of my pocket, and I’d proven that money was for people like me.
I’ve continued blogging about the cost of renovating our home (yes, it’s a fixer-upper!) and everything we do to save and make money.
We’re not career-minded; we both still work part-time because we value our time together most.
My Blog Is My Money Journey
We all do things differently, so I don’t claim to be able to solve everyone’s financial problems.
Reading other personal finance blogs gave me the knowledge I needed when I was starting to save; maybe I can pass that on to someone else.
I try to be very honest with my blog – life’s not perfect, and I don’t sugar-coat it to look that way.
My next big project is rebooting my fine art career – it’s what I’m trained in, but we’re constantly told that it’s too hard to make a living from art.
It might not be straightforward, but it’s possible, and I’m giving it my best shot!
Thank you to Mr. CBB for letting me bend his readers’ ears!
I appreciate it. If you’d like to read more about my story, do visit me at www.homelyeconomics.com
Frugal Recipe Pick
Food and grocery shopping are relevant because food is a large part of the budget, which people struggle with the most.
We all have to eat to survive, but just because we have a budget doesn’t mean we can’t eat delicious home-cooked meals that are drool-worthy.
If you would instead buy convenience foods, consider cooking homemade meals or baking from scratch.
Not only will you save money, but you will be proud of what you’ve accomplished, and you’ll see that from the smiles on those you feed.
For the past two years, I’ve had a second Facebook page called The Free Recipe Depot, where I exclusively share recipes from Food Bloggers worldwide.
This week, Monica at The Yummy Life lured me in with her Blueberry Applesauce blend- Vanilla.
I would have never thought to add other fruits to applesauce even though I’ve seen similar on the grocer’s shelves in pre-packaged containers.
Applesauce is one of those recipes that you automatically think of apples, but that’s not always the case.
You can mix and match like any other recipe to create your flavors.
Look at this blueberry applesauce and tell me you don’t want to grab a spoon! I do.
Related: How to make crockpot apple sauce
Cool Pinterest Find
I found this pretty cool article at Her Campus that shares 5 DIY Dorm Decorations, one of which is a Keep the Change Laundry Jar.
This is meant to toss spare change in for those needing coins for the laundry or to save up to put money on a university card.
What I like about these five fives is that they are created with frugality in mind and saving money for students.
With school starting within weeks, this is a great project to help with a back-to-school budget.
Editor’s Choice
Every week, I will pick a blog post of the week from around the web that I found interesting and want to share with all of you.
Please read the post and let them know that Mr. CBB sent you a comment.
Editor’s Choice (That’s me, Mr.CBB) This week, M, Michael over at Financially Alert caught my attention with a post in mid-February.
He blogs about how raising your standards will increase your wealth; I also support this.
We must see the value in our skills and motivation to succeed financially and reach those goals.
Investing in yourself is the only way to get things rolling.
Michael shares some essential points to get you started on your way to financial success.
Finding financial freedom really comes down to 80% psychology and 20% mechanics. So, guess where you should focus your efforts?
By raising your standards, you immediately begin to impact the quality of your thoughts (psychology).
In fact, if you only concentrated on becoming financially alert, you will find yourself naturally adjusting your mechanics automatically.
Spotlight on Finance
What an intelligent quote to live by because too many people run after the money without a vision.
Once you love what you do and your work doesn’t feel like work any longer, the money will follow you wherever you go.
Become the best you can be using the skills you’ve worked hard to build upon.
Google Search Giggles
Always begin and end your day with a SMILE!- Mr.CBB
Every week, I get thousands of people to visit the Canadian Budget Binder because they did a search online and found my blog.
If you notice any spelling errors below, I share the exact way it was typed into a search engine query to land on my blog.
Most times funny, Sometimes serious.
- I want all the grocery game chicken mix– What? The grocery game is why this person landed on my blog, but it still makes no sense. Enjoy your chicken mix.
- Dumpster Diving Laws Ontario– Yes, don’t do it.
- For wife all about money– I hope you were searching for a finance blog for your wife. I’m sure she will enjoy her stay here.
- How to make wild money in Canada– Haha, “wild money”
- Companies that negotiate Rogers for you– Really? This doesn’t exist. I want to know now.
That’s all the fun for this week. Thanks for dropping by, and we’ll see you all again next Saturday!
Mr.CBB
- The Saturday Weekend Review #184: In 1 Minute, This 10-year-old teaches the world about materialism
- The Saturday Weekend Review #185: 15 Action Steps We Use To Get Ahead Financially
- The Saturday Weekend Review #186: How to Pay Cash For What You Need The Right Way
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