It seems like we just celebrated Memorial Day and here we are shopping for school supplies, new school wardrobes, and filling our calendar with fall sports schedules. No matter how old your child is we all experience the excitement, anxiety, and stress of an upcoming school year. One of the biggest stresses is the cost of starting a new school year and how to pay for all the school supplies and fees. I know when I saw my son’s school supply list I was shocked at how much I would have to buy for him just to go to Kindergarten. This got me thinking how much I will be spending every year as he gets older and continues in school…and I am starting to strategize a little bit. Below are some tips that can help us all have a better handle on the financial side of starting a new school year:
- Budget throughout the year– Look at your overall budget and see if every month you could cut back on any unnecessary cost (ie. Specialty coffee every day, dinner out one night a week, etc…) and save that money towards school supplies in the fall. You would be surprised at how small changes in your habits could add up to more money in your pocket.
- Look for deals– Not all school supplies have to be brand name and most department stores run great sales this time of year for school supplies. Also research when your state offers the “Tax Free” shopping days to have an extra savings bonus.
- Take inventory before going shopping– Go through the supplies from last year, your home office and closets. You may already have some of the supplies needed for this upcoming school year in your home. Just because it is a new school year doesn’t always mean that the supplies have to be brand new.
Whether your student is going to kindergarten or you are sending them off to their first year of college we have the products and services for you to tackle this experience while being financially successful. We have great savings programs such as Save the Change that can help you build up a savings account with very little impact on your budget by rounding up your debit card purchases to the next dollar and depositing the change in your savings account. We also offer sub share accounts that help you budget for particular savings goals.
If you think school supplies are out of control wait until you start looking at college fees. Don’t forget Day Air is here to help you with this as well. Check out our Financial Planning Center and our Student Loan program that can help pay for college.
Even though Day Air Credit Union cannot wipe away the tears on the first day of school we can ease the pain leading up to the first day. Ask us how we can help!
Amy Cline | University of Dayton Branch Manager