In 2021, the National Retail Federation reported families spent more than $840 on school supplies With record inflation, this number could inch toward $1,000 this year.

                By                    Sam DiSalvo

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Some of the most expensive items on your child’s list might have you worried about how you’re going to afford school essentials, especially if you have multiple kids in school. Luckily, there are hacks so you’re not spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on items you’ll just have to buy again next year.

Laptops and Tablets

Laptops and tablets are as essential as they are expensive. However, many brands offer student discounts that you can take advantage of.

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Apple offers college students $300 off the newest MacBook Air, plus you can get a $150 Apple gift card. You can also save about $200 on the newest iPad that also comes with the $150 gift card. Best Buy offers all students deals for up to $300 off new Samsung and others Windows laptops, as well as tablets. Dell is also offering students up to $200 off laptops, and Microsoft is offering 10% off all items for students. If you can hold out, Black Friday always has great tech deals, so you can load up then as well.

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Backpacks

The easiest way to save on a backpack is to reuse from previous years. However, this might be your child’s first year in school, or that shiny and new backpack from three years ago might be worn down. One piece of advice is to buy a new backpack in the off season. So, if a ratty backpack can make it through September, you’ll score great deals waiting to replace it until October or November. You can also check eBay or Poshmark for “new with tags” bags for a brand-new backpack for a fraction of its original price. 

If your child wants specific characters on their backpack, consider adding those yourself with help from a craft store and iron-on decals. A kid’s bag with licensed characters is always going to be much more expensive than one without. 

Calculators 

Flash Drives

Flash drives are extremely necessary to back up work, or have it on the go. Depending on the size of the flash drive, they can get pretty pricey. Best Buy always has drives on sale and offers them in packs, so you can get more bang for your buck. The retailer offers perfectly small and portable flash drives with up to 1,000 GB of storage. 

Paper and Pens

The bulk of a school supplies list tends to be pens, pencils, notebooks and the like. Dollar stores usually offer great deals on these, so definitely stop by those before you go to any big-box stores.

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