By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
nSeika/flickr
No matter how you educate your children, it is pretty hard to miss the start of the new school year. While parents of students going to traditional schools are saving money on school supplies, parents of homeschoolers, like me, look for ways to save money on curriculum.
There are as many different ways to homeschool as there are homeschoolers. But in general it breaks down to either following traditional academic age/grade appropriate guidelines on what a student should know (so that you can pop your kid back into a traditional curriculum at any time and they wouldn’t be behind) or following a child-led curriculum, called unschooling in some circles.
If you are following a traditional curriculum,
Last chance for back to school deals! Credit: stevendepolo/Flickr
Just a reminder that the back to school deals end this Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011 at Office Max and Staples. Office Depot has already cut us off. The only school sale worth mentioning for Sept. 11-17 is Staples so you’ll find that below. Here’s a recap of the deals ending Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011:
Buy 2 get 1 free at Office Max. Credit: Office Max.
If you haven’t yet taken advantage of the hot weekly back to school deals, this is your last chance! The final weeklong back to school sales cycle begins this Sunday and ends Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011. Office Depot deals end tomorrow, Saturday Sept. 3, 2011. Here are this week’s deals!
Office Max deals Sunday Sept 4-10, 2011 (some prices are regional so double check your weekly ad online or in store)
- 1 cent 12-pack Schoolio Colored Pencils
- 1 cent Pencil Sharpener
- 25 cent Sharpie Singles Markers
- 25 cent 5-pack Just Basics Pink Erasers
School supply deals are ending this week so shop soon! Credit: Avolore/Flickr
This is the last week of back to school deals at Office Depot. I’m not sure if the other chains will follow suit, but it is likely. I’ll continue to post deals every Thursday until they stop completely.
Office Depot deals Sunday Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2011
- 1 cent slider pencil box
- $1 Fiskars Student Scissor
- $1 mechanical pencil
- $1 2-pack of paper towels
Office Max deals Sunday Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 2011
- 1 cent 2-pocket folders
- 1 cent metal compass or 6-inch plastic protractor
- 1 cent ream of paper after $6.98 Office Max Bonus Rewards (which can be spent on anything in the store)
Going to college = eating ramen.
Credit: crazytales562/Flickr
Reader Pauline shared a fascinating secret in her comment on Yazmin’s post on college money wasters: “Our plan and my son’s goal is that he graduates from college debt-free.”
Whaaaa?! How would she accomplish such a financial feat? I was dying to know Pauline’s plan. Luckily, she wrote back and shed light on her family’s incredibly savvy spending habits.
Hi Julia: Well, first of all my son is VERY low maintenance. We have had our kids purchase their own WANTS for years. His Dad and I always provided the needs and made that clear what a need vs a want consisted of. And also my son doesn’t like to spend his own money. He has several and various savings accounts that have been growing over the years.
As far as starting 9 months ago I’m the type of person that needs
greenasian / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
I’m shining the spotlight on eight college expenses that are a big waste of money – and not necessary. Don’t forget to check out our weekly back to school deals to save money on school supplies and other back to college money savers.
- Printer - Most universities offer computer labs where your student can print their ten-page papers for free. All s/he needs is a flash drive to save the doc and transport it to the lab. Emailing (more…)
Back to school contest starting soon!
I’m putting together a back to school contest and am considering the following prizes. Vote by commenting. The prize that gets the most votes wins!
- $100 Dell gift card
- $100 Barnes & Noble gift card
- $100 Macy’s gift card
- $100 Zappos gift card
The contest will launch next week. Thanks for your input!
thinkretail / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
A while back I wrote about saving money by using a retail credit card with perks. This time I saved $90.38 on back to school shopping! I headed to outlets just outside L.A. with my high-school-bound sister and bought several clothing items she can combine with her existing wardrobe in September.
Outlet stores are great for saving money on clothes. Below I’ll share tips for how we got the most out of our outlet shopping experience. But first, let me share what we bought and the cost breakdown. We shopped at the GAP because I had a $10 off reward sent to me. We bought items that are not so trendy and took advantage of big outlet discounts.
Prices inch lower on notebooks starting Sunday at Office Depot. Will Staples and Office Max follow suit? If you are looking for back to school deals on clothes and shoes, check our daily roundup of the hottest store deals.
Office Depot deals Sunday Aug. 21-27, 2011
- 1 cent 1 subject note books
- 1 cent Office Depot Eraser Caps
- 50 cent Scholastic glue sticks
- 50 cent reams of paper after mail-in rebate
- 50 cent vinyl binder
- 50 cent Purell
- 50 cent 3-pack High Lighter
Staples deals starting Sunday Aug. 21-27, 2011
- 1 cent 120-packs of ruled paper
- 50 cent Scotch tape with dispenser (HOT DEAL!)
- 50 cent pencil cases
- 50 cent Avery glue sticks
- 50 cent spiral-bound notebooks
- 25-50% off all backpacks
- 50 cent ball point pens
- Print a Staples coupon for 20% off that expires Aug. 20, 2011.
Staples Bonus: Pay $10 for a Staples discount card that gets you 15% off on school supplies through Sept. 17, 2011. Excludes toner and ink, technology (electronics), gift cards, stamps, case paper, food, furniture, flash drives, cell phones and plans, services, and phone cards. You’ll need to spend $66.66 dollars to get your $10 investment back (15% off $66.66 = $10).
Office Max deals starting Sunday , 2011
- Next week’s ad has not been posted. Hoping for an update later today so check back!
micro10x/Fotolia.com
Bargain shoppers like you and me can get trapped by low-priced back to school clothes that appear to be a great value, but are cheaply made. The September issue of ShopSmart, published by Consumer Reports, says here is what to avoid.
Dresses and skirts – Elastic waistbands, no lining, sloppy stitching, crooked seams, and visible hems (they should be rolled).
Jackets – Big, cheap buttons, buttonholes with loose threads or raw edges, no lining (which helps the jacket fit better and keep its shape), labels sewed on sloppily, flimsy
Burrs & Berries / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Kids want to look good at school; parents surveyed by the National Retail Federation are committed to “spend where you need to, save where you can.” Here is how to meet both needs by saving money on back to school fashion. So what are this year’s fashion trends?
Tip: We post back to school deals at Staples, Office Depot, Office Max, and more every Thursday.
- Color-blocking- This trend is huge! You may have already seen someone giving it a try by wearing bold colors at the same time, above. If done right, it looks chic, but it can quickly go south. The trick is to stay within the color family. Try a bold pink dress with a bright red cardigan and black patent leather flats. The good thing about this trend is that (more…)
Comp books are 25 cents at Office Depot starting Sunday. Credit: Office Depot
UPDATED: I just added the Office Max deals for Aug. 14-20, 2011.
PREVIOUSLY: This week’s back to school deals are looking HOT! Office Depot and Staples have the best deals this week. Where are you doing your back to school shopping?
Office Depot deals Aug. 14-20, 2011 – Some deals are regional so check your local flyer
- 1 cent ruler
- 1 cent ream of paper after mail in rebate
- 1 cent paper pocket folders
- 25 cent book covers
- 25 cent marble comp books
- 25 cent compass
- 25 cent Scholastic 24 count Crayons
- 25 cent scissors
- 25 cent 12-pack of Office Depot pencils
Staples deals starting Aug. 14.-20, 2011
Daniel Ernst/Fotolia.com
To follow yesterday’s post on back to school deals, 16 states have planned tax free holidays for clothes, school supplies, and computers. BargainJack has a neat chart with the info, which I summarize below, and Time’s Moneyland blog has additional analysis. Here’s what you need to know:
Participating states: AL, AR, CT, FL, IA, LA, MA, MD, MI, NM, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA.
Tax-free dates: Most states’ tax-free shopping days are THIS WEEKEND Aug 5-7, though some are later in the month.
Limits: There are per-item cost limits, like $100 on clothing. So if you buy a fancy leather jacket that costs more than $100, it will be taxed. If you buy lots of little clothing items that add up to more than $100, no tax. Some of the limits are as low as $20 per item on school supplies, but Tennessee has a generous $1,500 limit on computers.
Bonus: There are discounts in some states for hurricane preparedness items and sports equipment.
I have to say that in light of the debt limit fiasco and ensuing stock market fall yesterday, should our government be covering taxes on items like this? Are we as a nation getting too accustomed to perks like this?
Stop spending money on slow internet, Score back to school deals, and Can you afford to have a baby?
A pram stroller made out of money! Dominik Meissner / Flickr
We share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.
Stocks rebound - After a steep drop Thursday, stocks saw modest gains Friday morning. (USA Today)
Free and cheap weekend - A long list of free and super cheap stuff to do this weekend can be found on Hip 2 Save.
The real cost of having a baby - The cost of raising a child is high so our Silicon Valley blogger friend shares saving tips for new parents. (The Digerati Life)
Facebook school deals – This year, Facebook is your friend when it comes to scoring back to school deals. (CNN Money)
Is your internet provider holding you back? A Federal Communications Commission report reveals which ISPs live up to their advertising claims so you can stop spending money on slow internet. (Main Street)
Staple removers are 50 cents at Office Depot Aug.7-13
This week’s back to school supply deals run Sunday through Saturday, so you have one full week to take advantage of these great deals. August is a fantastic month to restock your home office.
Office Depot deals Aug. 7-13 , 2011
- 1 cent glue
- 50 cent 1-inch poly binder
- 50 cent Foray single pens
- 50 cent Papermate pink erasers (3 pack)
- 50 cent Office Depot brand Staple Remover
- $1 Sharpie Permanent Markers (5 pack)
- $1 ream of paper (after mail in rebate) (more…)
