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Parents Go to School On Shopping
Student wish lists reflect wants and needs within limited budgets
Sweltering summers barely begin when parents face the annual challenge of back-to-school shopping. Rising inflation and temperatures add to the shock.
Yet, a few strategic approaches can let parents equip kids with all they need without sinking into debt.
That is the objective for journalist, writer and content specialist Dawn Papandrea, who writes about personal finance. She and financial experts at Experian, a global information services company, discussed effective ways to save on back-to-school shopping.
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Before shopping, set a budget. Make a list of necessary items and prioritize essentials. Look for sales, use coupons and compare prices online to maximize savings.
“In general, it’s good to have a miscellaneous line item in your budget for these kinds of things so you can spread the cost out over the year,” Papandrea said. “Also, consider cashing in credit card points for gift cards to stretch your budget.”
Experian advocates establishing a list of needed items:
- Supplies
