9 Super-Smart Back to School Shopping Tips

***Thank you to Boscov’s for sponsoring this post so I could fill you in on these super-smart back to school shopping tips. All opinions in this post are my own***

Last year’s back to school shopping adventure wasn’t uber successful. As in I left the store and vowed to pull my children out of school for the rest of their childhood because I couldn’t handle the trauma of having to repeat the “fun” experience. Good times! But, something good did result from that fateful trip: I got smart about how to properly tackle back to school shopping. And I’m sharing what I have learned and figured out here so you can ace your own shopping venture like a boss–no stress allowed!

First day of school outfits at the ready!

9 Super-Smart Back to School Shopping Tips:

1. Separate clothes shopping and supplies shopping into two trips. This was my primary error last year. Doing everything in one trip overwhelmed and exhausted all of us. This year, we bought clothes one day and have scheduled another morning to grab all the needed pencils and folders.
2. Take the time to go through closets BEFORE you leave. I know, I get it–this is a royal pain and the last thing you feel like doing at the end of summer when you are running low on energy. But it’s necessary so you don’t end up buying things they already have or skipping things actually needed. This is especially important if you shop ahead for your kids. I found two pairs of jeans I had stashed for when my son got bigger, and when sorting through his clothing, I found them and realized they now fit! Good to know so I didn’t purchase more jeans for him.
3. Choose a single store that will have everything you need at prices you can trust. Boscov’s! I can’t say how easy one-stop shopping here made getting our back to school wardrobe. There’s a reason this store has been around for over a century! Actually, two reasons: great selection and great prices. Because Boscov’s has so many quality and relevant brands, my kids are able to find the specific style and type of clothes they like all within the same store. Because the prices are always low and there are always fantastic sales, I can relax knowing that I won’t be breaking the bank with our back to school shopping.
4. Go with a specific list and review it with your kids ahead of time. After sorting through their closets, I made a very specific list of the clothing items we needed to purchase and I discussed it with them before we got to Boscov’s. This not only helped us save money by avoiding impulse purchases not on the list, it gave us direction while in the store so we weren’t overwhelmed by the selection.
5. Shop for one child at a time. Rather than turn into flustered, crazed Mommy chasing two kiddos around at once, I made it very clear that first we would be shopping for my son, and then my daughter. This allowed us to stay focused on their individual lists and make sure we got everything we need. I especially recommend this if you have children of different genders–trying to keep tabs on kids in different sections of the store is impossible!
6. Take an activity to keep your kids busy. This is the time to whip out the iPad, mama. Or a book or activity bag–whatever will occupy your kiddos. When it not a child’s turn to shop, find a nearby corner of the store and set him up so you know where he is and so you can focus on your shopping tasks without have an extra whiny “helper”.
7. Have a maximum price point in mind. I’m not going to suggest setting a firm budget (gasp, I know!), and here’s why: if you stick to a specific list and don’t buy what’s not on the list, you are only buying what you actually need. Know how much you are willing to pay for specific items (i.e. I would pay $15 for a long-sleeve dress that pairs with leggings but not for a summery dress that would soon be out of season. [But I still only paid $12.49 for a sweater dress because Boscov’s prices are that good!])
8. Scan the clearance section. I know, I just got done telling you not to buy anything not on the list, but this is the exception. I always take a peek at the clearance area before checking out–I found a set of five pairs of Shopkins socks for 99 cents and my daughter’s first day of school dress for less than $10!
9. Take a minute to sort through all of your selections before you check out. This is the time to get all of your kiddos busy with a device or activity and evaluate your purchases. I pushed back all the clothes on a rack and hung all my potential purchases in the space. I considered each one, checking it against the shopping list I had made and the amount I was willing to spend. I ended up putting back a flannel shirt my daughter had selected because I wasn’t convinced she would actually wear it that much, and I actually ended up getting a second Puma Long Sleeve Performance Top for my son since he is pretty hard on his shirts and it only cost $7.99!

What did we end up getting in our Boscov’s Back to School Shopping Haul?

So many finds and great deals!

• Coordinating tunic and leggings set ($9.99)
• Sequined owl t-shirt ($6.99)
• Lace overlay top with a necklace ($17)
• Sweatshirt and leggings set ($15,20)
• Super-soft print leggings ($7)
• Nautica dress shirt ($9.99)
• Nautica Color Block Raglan Tee ($7.99)
• Puma t-shirt with matching socks ($7.99)
• Batman zip-up hoodie ($19.99)
• Fila sneakers ($19.99)

My daughter was nuts for the tops and dresses that came with necklaces–she thought it was such a cool treat!

Both kids got their first day of school outfits, plus plenty more duds to see them through the year. Now it’s time to get your own back to school shopping on, friends. Make sure to check out Boscov’s all-store Back-to-School event on August 26, 2017 too! Use these helpful tips, leave the stressing for the actual school year, and go enjoy picking out some fun duds with your kiddos!

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Meredith

Meredith blogs at The Mom of the Year, where she dedicatedly earns her title one epic parenting fail at a time, offering quick, relatable laughs for fellow parents and all their empathizers. She has been part of several best-selling anthologies, featured on prominent sites such as Huffington Post, In the Powder Room and BlogHer, and loves her role as the Executive VP/Operations Manager of The BlogU Conference. When she's not breaking up fights over Legos and juice boxes, she remains fully committed to sharing a less serious look at the world of parenting.

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