Local Ag Agent Suggests Three Tips For Budgeting School Shopping

School shopping can get expensive, so how should you budget your money for new school clothes or supplies.

Putnam County Ag. Extension Director Michelle Parrott said for some, back to school shopping can even compete with holiday spending. Parrott said avoiding budgetary issues starts with planning.

“You need to make a list of those things of hose things that no longer fit, or the supplies that you do need for school,” Parrott said. “The list is critical, because if you don’t have that list, and you go out to the store and you see all the colorful items that they have ready for school, sometimes you want to impulse buy.”

Parrott said another recommendation is spacing out purchases. Parrott said while it may be tempting to do all your shopping on tax free weekend, one can focus on first day necessities and buy other items as the school year progresses.

“Can I purchase them maybe two or three months down the road?” Parrott said. “Or, maybe can I wait to buy that as a holiday or Christmas item. Maybe, the kids you have are going through a growth spurt, so maybe just purchase a couple of new shorts or shirts.”

Parrott said her last tip is comparing prices and fitting school shopping into your monthly budget. Parrot said often times, people forget to account for extra expenditures once school rolls around.

“Most people honestly do not save back for the back to school shopping holiday,” Parrott said. “Usually at Christmas time, people put back and know that spending is coming up, but that back to school bash is sometime the one that slips up on us.”