By ASH IDRISY
CENTRE COUNTY — I love back-to-school season. It’s not because I have little kids who are starting school in a few weeks. No, I have loved it since I was a kid. It was like Christmas, getting new clothes, books, pens, all so I could be ready for school, which I also loved; it couldn’t be better.
Some of the fun is, of course, shopping, and I don’t want to remove anyone’s joy from this experience, but I do want to point out ways to spend less.
The first group of focus is parents of little ones. Kids will lose keys, clothes, water bottles and basically anything not attached to them. New is a relative term, so getting kids second-hand stuff is a great option. The best place to start is with friends and family, where you should be able to get some stuff cheap and maybe even for free-99.
If you still need more gear, then go to thrift stores and then finally buy new. As for actual notebooks and pens, etc., there are “backpack programs” from local YMCAs that offer supplies, so please look into those types of options.
Moving on to older kids, junior to high schoolers, who may want special things like tech gadgets or “goated shoes that have all the rizz.” It might be worth having them pay for or help pay for these items. Ideally, they had a summer job; if not, maybe next year. Perhaps they have some allowance or money from Grandma. In any case, kids pay a part of the purchase.
This teaches them about the value of saving and budgeting. For high school kids, there will also be end-of-school-year rituals, prom, field trips, graduation gifts, things they should start planning and saving for now. This brings us to the last group of focus: college students.
If you are in college, you’re probably already doing everything you can to save money. Maybe you are already living with mom and dad and if not, then you are rooming with folks to spread the cost of rent.
Living further from campus to bring down rent is something to consider. Beyond this, make sure you are renting your textbooks or getting older copies from other students. Some professors will put pre-prints of their books online, so do a quick Google search and see if this is the case.
Before you buy the latest laptop or iPhone, check out refurbished models. Depending on the brand buying a refurbished model can save you 50% of the retail price. Finally, give yourself a budget for how much you’ll spend when you go out. Pick a monthly number that works and then adjust it every quarter or six months.
Learning to keep track of your expenses and possibly working a part-time job to pay for future plans, all while doing your best in school, may seem like a lot to ask. And it is. But trying your best to learn these skills while getting your formal education will pay huge dividends in the end.
