It’s time for Back to School – and time to keep your cool.
Managing back-to-school expenses can be challenging, but with careful planning and budgeting, you can keep it cool and avoid unnecessary financial stress. Here are some tips to help you navigate back-to-school shopping while keeping your expenses under control:
- Create a Budget: Before you start shopping, make a list of all the necessary items your child needs for school. Set a budget for each category to avoid overspending.
- Inventory Check: Take a look at what you have leftover sitting around from previous years. You may be surprised to see you have plenty of notebooks with paper laying around!
- Shop Sales and Discounts: Keep an eye on sales, discounts, and special offers from stores.
- Comparison Shop: Don't buy everything from the first store you visit. Take the time to compare prices at different retailers or online platforms to ensure you get the best deals.
- Second-Hand Options: Consider purchasing second-hand or gently used items for things like textbooks, school bags, and clothing. Check thrift stores, online marketplaces, or community buy/sell groups for good deals.
- Set Priorities: Focus on buying the essential items first. Non-essential items can be deferred to later in the school year or even used as rewards for good academic performance or behavior.
- Stick to the List: When shopping, resist the temptation to buy unnecessary items that are not on your list. Impulse purchases can quickly add up and blow your budget.
- Reusable Lunches: Instead of purchasing single-use lunch items, invest in reusable lunch boxes, water bottles, and containers. It's not only cost-effective but also better for the environment.
- Involve Your Child: Explain the importance of budgeting to your child and involve them in the shopping process. This will help them understand the value of money and make them more conscious of their choices.
If you didn’t get the chance to plan ahead for your back-to-school, don’t worry! We’re here to help! Here are a few ways CSE can help you keep your cool when it comes to back-to-school expenses:
- Low Rate Credit Cards – why pay upwards of 20-30% on high-rate credit cards? At CSE our Visa credit cards are competitive and locally serviced!
- Personal Loans / Debt Consolidation Loans – if you need a personal loan to stretch your budget, we have loan officers ready to help, or if you’re considering consolidating debts into one loan, we can go over options for that as well.
- Balance Transfers – If you end up racking up some debt on other credit cards at high rates consider a balance transfer to a CSE card with a lower rate which means paying less in interest.
- Debit & Credit Cards with Rewards Points – why not earn rewards with every purchase redeemable for some great options, since you’re shopping anyway?
- Mobile Wallet – to make all of your purchases convenient and easy during the shopping chaos.
- AND SO MUCH MORE!
Sticking to a budget, and being resourceful, you can keep your back-to-school expenses in check and start the academic year on a financially positive note. Keep your cool by contacting us for help, when you need it!
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