Hey friends! It's back to school time and that means a lot of back to school shopping. Sometimes this can take a toll on our checkbook so here are some tips for lessening the impact!

Do pre-shopping inventory.
Yes, it's fun to get new things, but you probably have many items you can reuse from a previous school year. How often did they really use those crayons or markers? At the end of the year, assess the supplies they came home with and if only a few pages were used in their spiral notebook, rip them out and save it for next year!

Do they really need it?
Every year it seems like name-brand watercolors are on the list. They were hard to find and expensive. If they are not used, consider purchasing less expensive watercolors.

Invest in a few sturdy items.
I paid more for name-brand backpacks, but I’ve found that my children are on their fourth year without a rip or tear. Sometimes it pays to invest in high-quality items.

Can you find it used or borrow it?
My children needed the expensive TI calculators that cost about $100 a piece. I posted a request online and paid $25 for a slightly used one and it worked just fine.

Resist the urge to buy all new clothes at the beginning of the school year.
In most locations, your students will still be wearing shorts and tees for at least a month or so. One year I bought all new jeans for my daughter right before the start of school. She didn't wear them until at least six weeks into school and unfortunately had a growth spurt and no longer fit into all five pairs of jeans.

Stick to the essentials.
Don't feel like the "bad mom" because you aren't outfitting your child's locker with fancy décor and wallpaper. You spent enough on school supplies so let them use their own money for the extras.

I hope these tips help you lighten the load. Happy shopping! First National Bank wishes all DeWitt County students good luck with the new school year. Questions? Call us at 217.935.2148.