Can back-to-school shopping be stress-free?
Back-to-school can be stressful. In addition to new schedules and responsibilities, which can be exciting, there are almost always additional expenses. (How much are new soccer cleats?) What if there were a way to help the whole family prepare for the coming school year with as little regret about spending as possible?
Intentional shopping is stress-free shopping.
The key is getting kids to slow down long enough to ask and answer questions that build intention into the back-to-school shopping process. This teaches them to get what they need, skip what they don't, and start the year like a boss!
Here’s the four-part process young people should work through before sitting down with their parents to discuss a back-to-school shopping budget (even college-bound students have told us they find this approach helpful):
- Reflect on last year at school. What worked, what didn't?
- Think about the coming school year. What's changed? Going to a new school? Does that mean you'll need to buy things you haven't had to in the past?
- Think about how much you're willing to contribute. (Be smart here, parents love it when kids have some skin in the game!)
- Consider the trade-offs you'll have to make or might be willing to make to help pay for the items and experiences you need or want. How many forgone iced lattes will it take to buy that new bookbag?
Tweens and teens can use our back-to-school list builder to organize their responses.
Find a downloadable, printable PDF that tweens and teens can use to organize their responses here: Back-to-School List Builder. It takes three minutes to read and maybe 20 to complete, if young people take their time and answer with care. However, the result will be less disappointment and waste, improved family harmony, and possibly even a lower carbon footprint throughout the coming academic year. Because when we anchor our choices in experience and thought rather than marketing, we’re able to combat our fear of missing out (FOMO), and its second cousin, buyer’s remorse.
Want a shorter task for younger kids?
You can ask 10-year-olds or younger to simply answer these questions on a sheet of paper:
- 👖What clothes/ pieces of uniform can I still comfortably wear?
- 👟What shoes can I still comfortably wear?
- ✏️What school supplies (e.g., knapsack, mechanical pencil, calculator, pencil crayons, pencil case) can I still use?
- 💻Am I going to a new school? Does this require me to purchase articles of clothing, equipment, or supplies that I haven't previously owned?
- 📋Have I made a complete list of everything I need for the new school year?
- 💡Have I calculated the DIMS- DOES IT MAKE SENSE? SCORE for each wish-list entrant? This will help me ask for the clothing, equipment, and supplies I need without having to wonder how much they’ll really cost, and/or how much I’m likely to use and appreciate them.
Cost-splitting moves the conversation from "Can I have it?" to "Is it worth it?"
Cost-splitting is another terrific back-to-school shopping tool. If you find your kids jonesing for something you don't see the merit in, offer to "split it" with them. It's the easiest way to move the conversation from "Can I have it?" to "Is it worth it?" Because kids spend their own money very differently from anyone else's!
Final Tip: Visual goal trackers motivate kids to keep saving for something they want.
Once your child has committed to paying for some portion of a back-to-school wishlist item, introduce them to a goal tracker. Whether they're saving for new shoes, supplies, or a new device, seeing their progress motivates smart saving. Think of how much easier it would be to forgo an iced latte with your friends if you knew you were only $10.00 away from being able to buy the jacket you’ve been saving for. We built one here: Worth the Wait Goal Tracker.
Back-to-school arrives every year...a little planning goes a long way!
Like New Year's Day, taxes, and sunsets, we know back-to-school is coming. Most students will need at least a couple of new items of clothing come September. A student-created back-to-school shopping list is the easiest way for families to skip regret and move right into excitement about the year to come. Or, as we like to say "Spending with a plan is fun and worth it!"
May your backpacks be light, and your deals be plenty. 🎒🤗
To learn more about our FREE and safe mindful spending tool, the DIMS - DOES IT MAKE SENSE?® SCORE Calculator, click on the pink or blue buttons below.
Back-to-School Child Development Financial Literacy For Parents
