How to Save Money on Back to School Shopping: 6 Things to Thrift
Back to school shopping is very expensive! Parents can save hundreds of dollars on clothes and supplies by heading to the thrift store. Shopping second-hand is becoming trendy for teens and young adults as well so your child can go to school with some thrifted items without sacrificing their coolness.
How do you save on back-to-school shopping?
My daughter is heading to Kindergarten this year and boy oh boy can it get expensive! As a teacher, I know how much parents usually spend on school supplies for the classroom and I know that alone can add up. Add in the new backpacks, lunch kids, shoes and clothes and parents are looking at hundreds of dollars per child. Yikes. I like to find any sort of deal of freebie like these free French flashcards.
In 2019 Global News shared that the average Canadian family spends about $500 per child on back-to-school. Dear goodness… I just about fainted.
On the other hand though, I remember what it was like as a kid to have brand new shoes and clothes every September. My parents were savvy shoppers and liked to find good deals and sales but I now recognize that with 3 kids they must’ve spend a lot of money. Sometimes it takes becoming an adult to appreciate those things…
Luckily, today thrifting is becoming more mainstream.
That’s a great thing for parents who are trying to stick to a budget for back-to-school shopping. My husband loves to thrift and he has found countless dresses for the kids, backpacks and shoes. People donate some amazing stuff.
Back-to-school shopping on a budget: What to Thrift
Lunch Kits
My husband has come home with countless adorable lunch kits. The Skip Hop one’s are so cute and he has found many of them (so if you have a preschooler keep your eye out for those!). Kids will often get a new lunch kit every single year even when their old one is still fine.
They’ll get a lunch kit with whatever character they like at the time and so the old one gets thrown in the giveaway pile… which is good news for us!
If you are looking to save money on groceries as well have a look at how I use Trello for family meal planning.
Backpacks
Same thing goes for backpacks. Many kids come to school every year with a brand spanking new backpack even though the one they used last year is still in great condition. You can find some cute backpacks at Value Village or any other second-hand store in your neighbourhood.
This year my kids were gifted new backpacks from one of their uncles and I’m hoping they will last them at least a couple of years!
Notebooks and Binders
This one is awesome. So many people donate perfectly good binders! Resist the urge to buy one from Walmart and head to your local thrift store. There are always binders.
I don’t recommend thrifting someone’s used notebook but sometimes people will donate a notebook that is still in its original packaging because they didn’t end up having a use for it. That’s the best.
T-Shirts
Particularly if you have older kids or teens you can find a lot of quirky and fun t-shirts at the thrift store and the best part is that vintage t-shirts are becoming more and more coveted. Have a look at this thrifting instagram account to see what I mean. Old movie shirts, concert tees, even the wildlife “wolf howling at the moon” shirts are becoming cool again. I get so many compliments on my big cats sweater lol.
Dresses
Comfy cotton dresses are my kid’s favorite things to wear. They like to feel fancy and I like them to be comfortable so they can play.
You can find so many dresses for so cheap when you’re out thrifting!
Shoes
If your kids are on the younger side you will always want to hit up the kids shoe section. We have found several pairs of Natives, Toms, Nike running shoes and stylish boots while thrifting.
Little kids grow out of their shoes so quickly that a lot of the time the shoes hardly have any wear on them. Which is a win for any parent on a budget!
Ok, so now that you know what to thrift I want to say that (to me at least) it’s nice to have some things bought new, but getting your child used to the fact that second-hand is ALSO ok is a great thing. It helps them recycle, learn about how to take care of the planet and save money.
If you’re in a prepping mood and your child is going into French Immersion, find out how you can practice reading with your child in French Immersion even if you don’t speak French.
Do you thrift? What are some of your best thrifting finds?
-Breyen
Follow me on Instagram @ouimadamewee
