Kira from Tip Hero offered some great tips for making back to school a thrifty and creative time.

As much as the kids may be in denial, the time is almost upon us. Are you ready to send your kids back to school with everything they need in order to be successful in the upcoming school year? If not, take a look at a few tips that may help you along the way:

Take Inventory in Your Own Home

Before you go out shopping, make sure you take full inventory of what you already have. Go through closets and sort out what can and can’t be worn. Go through junk and office drawers to find writing implements and other necessary school supplies. The last thing you want to do is buy things that you already have.

Also, take advantage of free things that you come across. For example, if you’re out somewhere that gives out free pens, don’t pass up the offer!

Shop Those End of Summer Sales

Summer clothing gets a lot cheaper toward the end of summer when it’s no longer in demand. However, now may be the perfect time for you to stock up on “summer” clothing for your child and score some deals. If you’re creative in the way you dress your little one, you can layer summer pieces to make them work for fall, winter and spring.

Also, during the time leading up to back-to-school, you’ll find sales on things like basic school and office supplies. If you need to buy some of the things on your child’s list, you can at least shop the sales and find great competitive deals pretty much anywhere.

Host a “Back-to-School Swap”

At clothing swaps, you can take advantage of other people’s gently used clothing and supplies while at the same time donating items you can no longer use. Here are some tips from Get Rich Slowly:

• Decide Who to Invite: for back-to-school swaps, you’ll want to invite families with kids of different (yet similar) ages. Kids will probably not want to swap clothes with kids from their classes, but you also want the clothing to fit the kids in the swap.
• Make an Announcement: give people a couple of weeks heads up before you host your swap. You want to give people enough time to get their unwanted stuff in order before the swap.
• Set Rules for What Can Be Swapped: decide what people should bring and what should just go straight into a Goodwill bin. For example, the number one rule should be that everything swapped should be clean and in good condition. Set other ground rules that work for you and the people who will attend your swap.
• Gather Supplies: have a ready supply of trash bags for people to take clothes home in. Other things that could come in handy are sharpies for labeling, full length mirrors for “fittings,” and perhaps some light snacks and beverages.

Check FreeCycle and Craigslist

FreeCycle and Craigslist are great places to look for free and cheap back-to-school needs. You can frequently find gently used kids clothing on both of these sites, so keep your eyes peeled in the weeks leading up to back-to-school time (and after)!

Look for Discounted Gift Cards

If you’re going to be shopping at a certain retailer anyway, you may as well look into doing it more cheaply. You can prepare ahead of time by looking into buying discounted gift cards online from places like Plastic Jungle and Cardpool.

Stick to the List

The temptation to buy everything new might be overwhelming, but don’t give in! Be firm and stick to the things your child actually needs. Only buy extra if you can find bulk bargains on things that your child will absolutely need throughout the course of the school year.

Personalize on Your Own

Just because you’re sticking to the list doesn’t mean that your child can’t have some stylish supplies. Instead of buying an expensive Justin Bieber lunchbox, for example, buy a plain one and adorn it with cheap stickers or decals. Basically, look to buy budget-friendly basics and jazz them up on your own. You can even make a day out of bedazzling supplies with your kid if you’d like!

Take Advantage of Tax-Free Holidays

Check this list from About.com to see if your state will be holding a tax-free weekend this year. If so, plan your shopping accordingly so that you can take advantage of the savings. In some cases, you can enjoy up to 10% off of your back-to-school purchases!

Choose Quality Over Quantity

When it comes to things like backpacks, it may be tempting to go for the cheapest option you can find. However, in the case of a backpack especially, a nice, quality bag will likely last your child many years whereas a cheap, flimsy one may not even make it through the first half of this year. Invest in the purchase that will save you the most money over time when you can!

Sources: Parenting.com, Get Rich Slowly, Frugal Living

Photo credit: KB35