Back to School, Not Back to Broke

Cost-cutting Ideas for School Supplies

By April E. Clark

In today's economy, saving money when shopping for back-to-school items is easier said than done. For frugal shopping expert Trish Garvis, cutting such costs is all in a day's work. "I have a basic thrift shopping principle that applies to back-to-school items: Never be caught in a panic," says Garvis, the mother of eight girls and one boy and author of Get More for Your Money. "Being in a panic is expensive. You must think ahead and plan for future needs."

For more than 20 years, Garvis, who lives in Leesburg, Va., has calmly and successfully supervised her family's limited budget on her carpenter husband's income. Her basic thrift shopping principle, coupled with a clever knack for stretching a dollar, has seen the Garvis family through the toughest of economic situations.

As a new school year approaches, such dedicated frugality may become a necessity.

Managing a household of 11, Garvis has made a lifetime commitment of beating those odds, especially when school clothes shopping. Although the Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) averages the cost of elementary students' jeans at $40 and shoes at $50 per pair, her best advice is to avoid surrendering to soaring retail prices and becoming a "slave to fashion."

"My deal with my teens is this, 'It's my job as a parent to see that you are dressed. If you want to be cool, that's on your dollar,'" she says. "I'm happy to buy the classics that every generation since the '50s has worn, such as blue jeans, tennis shoes and T-shirts. But I don't have to spend $120 on shoes when there are adequate ones out there for $20. I'll spend the $20, and if my child just has to have the expensive shoes, she's putting up the other $100."

According to Garvis, the notion of sharing financial responsibility for trendy and high-priced clothing has worked well with her children over the years. "None of my four teens has ever gone for the expensive item," she says. "They buy most of their own clothes, and they always check the clearance rack at their favorite stores where they find great bargains, like a $4 denim dress from the Gap."

Want to see more?

• Back to School Tips: From the American Academy of Pediatrics
• After-school Programs: A Creative, Safe Outlet for Our Youth
• Get Involved – It's Worth It! 9 Ways to Build a Strong Relationship with Your Child's School
• Check out our Article Library.
• Talk about it!