Just as you are settling into the laid-back summer routine, retailers start rolling out their back-to-school displays. According to the National Retail Federation, the average American parent will spend nearly $700 per child this shopping season. But you don’t need to spend yourself into debt just because everyone else seems to be doing it. Here are five creative ways to save on back-to-school shopping costs!

Shop the dollar store. Before hitting the big-box stores and their big-box prices, scour your local dollar store for school supply treasures that will only cost a dollar. These one-dollar deals will include items such as paper, pencils, crayons, folders, glue, poster board, notebooks, and even binders.

 

 

Shop on Sunday and Monday. Weekly sales on school supplies will go live at the beginning of the week – and the most in-demand items will be grabbed up first. Shop early in the week to score the best deals!

 

 

 

Look for discounts. Don’t start your shopping until you check out Benefits Plus®. Once you’ve upgraded your basic checking account to a Benefits Plus^® checking with SeaComm, you can shop Office Depot and Office Max for low prices (in store and online,) and save up to 50% on school supplies, including; paper, binders, calculators, correction tape, pens, markers and more! With a Benefits Plus^® membership, you will also save up to 15% on retail and restaurant gift cards, and enjoy up to 10% off eGift cards! Click here to learn more or call us at (800) 764-0566 to schedule an appointment at your nearest SeaComm branch location.

For complete information, terms, conditions and exclusions please visit www.benefits-plus.org or call 866-329-7587.

 

 

Follow stores on social media. Use your social media platforms to your advantage! Follow your favorite stores on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to receive instant notices about sale events, plus coupon links to help you save more.

 

 

Compare prices. When shopping for big-ticket items, like laptops or tablets, don’t buy until you’ve done a thorough comparison-shop. Search online to help you compare prices and get the best deals! The savings really add up, and you will feel good knowing that you have been cost efficient.