Back to School Spending Increases by Over $1 Billion

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Aug. 13, 2014 - PRLog -- With back to school spending at an all-time high, it is ideal for parents and students to make the most of their money by taking advantage of the many back to school sales being offered by malls, discount outlets, office supply, electronic, and online stores. However according to a recent survey (https://nrf.com/media/press-releases/demand-clothing-supplies-electronics-drives-schoolcollege-spending) conducted by the National Retail Federation, parents are expected to spend an average of $580.94 on their elementary school children, $682.13 on their middle school children, $682.99 on their high school children, and $916.48 on their college students when spending.

Here are some tips that parents and students should use when shopping for the first day of school:

·         Reuse last year’s school supplies. Supplies like rulers, pencils, unused notebooks, USB drives and protractors can be reused from year to year. Used backpacks and lunchboxes, after a simple cleaning, can appear as new. You may be surprised to find that some of the items you purchased last school year, have never been opened.

·         Create a list and budget. The easiest way to overspend while back to school shopping is to not create a shopping list or a budget that you can stick to. Creating a realistic budget can put an end to purchasing the items that your child may want but really may not need.

·         Keep an eye out for items that are free or discounted after rebate. During the summer and fall, many school supplies are offered for free after rebate. Be sure to keep track of your forms, receipts, and upc codes from the packages you purchased, so that you can redeem those rebates.

·         Attend local back to school community events. There are thousands of back to school events taking place in neighborhoods throughout the country. These events usually offer free food, entertainment, and a free school supply distribution. Attending a couple of them in your local area can end up saving you hundreds of dollars toward school supplies.

·         Do your research. Start early. Find out which stores are offering the best money saving deals. Also check out the thousands of couponing sites online. You can end up saving hundreds of dollars just by couponing.

“We understand that parents tend to overspend on their children when shopping for back to school items, however we want to make sure that US consumers get the most out of whatever monies they are spending,” says Greg Guerra, Operations Manager at Financial Help Service, Inc. “There are so many discounts that can be made accessible with mobile applications and a little bit of research, that it virtually makes no sense for parents to go over budget when shopping for school items.”

Financial Help Services, Inc. takes pride in not only helping American consumers pay off their existing debts, but educating them on how to live financially within their means. Living a successful life of financial freedom includes the ability to save money when possible.

About Financial Help Services, Inc.

Financial Help Services, Inc. is a 23 year old nationally recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that assist American consumers in taking back control of their finances. Their mission is to help people get out of debt through their debt management and credit counseling programs, while educating them through their financial education programs on how to build a stronger and brighter financial future.