8 Savings Tips for Back-to-School Season

Every year, back-to-school season brings a mixture of feelings — excitement for some kids who are looking forward to seeing their friends, reluctance for others who just want the summer break to go on forever. But one common feeling among parents is the anxiety that comes with buying another year's worth of school supplies. And it's no surprise parents feel this way, with school supplies increasing in price by 7.7% from 2025 to 2026.

Luckily, there are tactics you can use to make school supplies more affordable.

1. Take Inventory Before You Buy a Single Thing

Before you spend a penny, take stock of what you have, as you may already have many of the things your kids need for the upcoming school year. Search through drawers, desks, and last year's backpacks, and you may be surprised by how much you can find. Items you're likely to find include pens and pencils, folders, and notebooks with clean pages.

Be sure to also check whether your older kids have any leftover supplies or clothes that would be useful to their younger siblings. 

2. Build a Budget Before You Hit the Stores

Once you've crossed off the supplies you already have, you can create a budget for the items you still need. 

It's important to remember that a budget isn't designed to be restrictive. It should be empowering, as it allows you to make informed decisions when purchasing items, rather than buying reactively and spending more than you need to.

Split your budget into these categories:

• Supplies
• Clothing
• Shoes
• Tech
• Fees

You can then assign a dollar amount to each category, before working out what items to put in which category.

When creating your budget for fees, consider any activities, fundraisers, trips, or classroom requests that are likely to come up throughout the school year.

3. Time Your Shopping Around the Tax-Free Weekend

Every year, Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri all enjoy tax-free weekends. During these holidays, you can make tax-free purchases of particular items, allowing you to save on each purchase. 

In Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri, these back-to-school tax holidays are usually at the end of July or the start of August. 

During the Texas tax-free weekend, clothing, footwear, school supplies, and backpacks priced under $100 are tax-free. While Oklahoma's tax-free weekend is similar, school supplies like pens and pencils aren't included. 

And Missouri's tax-free weekend is even more generous, with qualifying items including:

• Clothing under $100
• School supplies under $50
• Graphing calculators under $150
• Personal computers and peripherals under $1,500

4. Look for Free Supplies in Your Community

Churches, community centers, and nonprofits throughout the country regularly host back-to-school bashes that give away free backpacks and school supplies. These generous community projects exist to help every child in the school district return to school with everything they need for the upcoming year. 

A quick online search for back-to-school giveaways in your area should provide information on nearby events where you, along with many others, can pick up key school supplies for free.

5. Buy Second Hand, Swap, and Trade

A great way to reduce school supply costs is to buy them second-hand. Non-consumable items like backpacks, lunchboxes, and binders often last beyond a single year of use and are therefore perfect to buy second-hand. 

You can often find second-hand supplies from:

• Online marketplaces, such as Facebook, Vinted, and Depop
• Thrift and consignment stores
• Families in your local neighborhood

When you find families in your area with second-hand supplies or clothing that you could use, you can also ask if they'd be willing to trade. You may have items they would like for their own children. 

If you intend to try and swap your items with neighbors, remember that items with classic designs and solid colors tend to hold up better for reuse across several school years. Items with trendy prints or characters that are currently popular may not be as desirable in a year or two.

6. Spread Out Your Purchases

It's easy to go out and buy all of your school supplies in one weekend, particularly if it's a tax-free weekend. But while this method may let you get the purchasing over and done with, it can lead to missing out on bigger sales as they come up. 

Particular savings can often be made during clearance sales held after the school year starts. While there are many items your kids will need for the first day of school, some items may not be needed until later in the year, making them perfect to pick up in post-start clearance sales.

Additionally, buying everything over one weekend lands you with large expenses to pay over a short period of time.

7. Go Generic on Supplies, Splurge on What Lasts

When you have so many supplies to buy, it can be hard to know what to splurge on and what to buy at minimal cost. When you're creating your budget, consider in advance which items are best to spend a bit extra on. A good way to determine how much to spend on each item is to consider the cost per use. For example, a $20 backpack that lasts only six months can lead to higher costs than a $50 backpack that lasts three years, since the cheaper backpack will need to be replaced more frequently.

In general, items that can last several years if they're of good quality, but may not last the school year if you buy them cheaply, are the ones you may want to spend more on. Backpacks, lunchboxes, and reusable binders often fall into this category.

Items that you should consider buying at minimal cost include:

• Pens
• Pencils
• Crayons
• Folders
• Notebook paper
• Glue sticks

To buy these supplies at lower prices, look for generic or store-brand items, as they often perform comparably to name-brand items.

8. Bridge the Gap With a Personal Loan

If you've applied all the back-to-school saving tips that you can but still find yourself unable to purchase all the necessary items, you can bridge the gap with a personal loan for back-to-school supplies. 

If approved, a personal loan from a responsible consumer lender can give you the extra financing you need to get those final few school supplies in time for the start of the school year.

Get a Personal Loan With Atlas Credit

At Atlas Credit, we offer fast, affordable personal installment loans through an easy application process, so you could quickly get the money you need for your kids' school supplies if approved. Serving families through our Texas locations and online options in Oklahoma and Missouri, we look beyond credit scores when considering each application. 

To find out how we can help you finance your children's school supplies, apply for a loan today.