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By Tara Thompson
Special to the Financial Independence Hub
If you have school-age children, you know that when fall rolls around there will be additional costs added to your budget. Hopefully, you planned for this increase in the budget when the school year began, but as we all know there are always unexpected costs that we didn’t think of. Here are a few things to expect as well as a few ways to save.
Clothes
When we send our kids off to school we already know about many of the costs. Back-to-school shopping can be crazy. New clothes are important if we want our kids to fit in with their peers. New shoes are also a popular item and they often need multiple pairs. If you live in an area that has cold weather or rain they will need coats and jackets. If possible try to reuse some of your kid’s clothes. I know they always want new clothes but try to mix in some new with some of the old, and don’t forget to utilize hand-me-downs if you have more than one child.
Supplies
Then there are the dreaded school supplies. A long list that never seems to end and probably a new backpack and lunchbox to go with them. There are ways to save money by finding good sales and also by re-using supplies from the previous year. I keep a plastic bin with unused and used school supplies that can still be used during the year and the following year if I still have them. This saves money and is a good way to be green.
Tuition
If you’re not sending them to public school, you will also have tuition. If you are sending them to public school, don’t forget you are paying for public school through your taxes. Some states do have publicly run pre-k schools but if they don’t you may want to look into private schools. Either way, you will most likely pay a tuition fee for pre-k schooling.
Registration Fees
That covers many of the basic upfront costs but what about the fees. Many elementary, middle and high schools have registrations fees and those seem to go up every year. There are books and workbooks that you often need to purchase, but if you buy them “used” they’re often cheaper.
Reoccurring Costs
Don’t forget about the other costs as the school year goes on. You will have lunch and snacks for your kids. School lunches are usually pretty affordable but making lunches for your kid every day can be a little more costly. Buying your groceries and snacks in bulk and researching cheap recipes can save a lot of money in the long run. You will have other ongoing costs such as replacing worn-out school supplies, shoes, and some clothes, so take advantage of the many coupons that are available for school supplies during back to school shopping.
Saving money is a process
As you can see there are many fees that will come up at the beginning and throughout the school year. If your kids have been in school for a while, then you are probably used to this yearly budget increase. If you have young children that are just starting school, you may feel overwhelmed by all of the new costs to your budget. Don’t worry you will learn to plan for this every year and don’t forget to plan for the extra unexpected costs that you run into throughout the year.
Tara Thompson is a contributing writer for Arizona-based Markitors, a Digital Marketing Company. In her free time, she enjoys reading and crocheting.
