SOUTHAVEN, Miss. — Back-to-school shopping is in full swing across the Mid-South.
WREG met rising seventh grader Anna Claire Calhoun and her mother Melanie as they were trying to beat the crowd at Walmart in Southaven by doing a little early-afternoon shopping.
Anna Claire ran down the list of items in their buggy so far: “Two binders, a mirror for my locker, tape, Crayola.”
Several parents had the same idea in mind. Jada Muhammad and her son Cedric were scouring the store for savings. One thing they checked out was deeply discounted notebooks.
“I had to put some more expensive ones back,” Muhammad said. “I was like, 17 cents, you can’t beat that.”
Amanda Sullivan was also looking for sales.
“I use the Rollback coupons here, we’ll be going over to Target to do some dollar shopping there. Just wherever we can find it,” she said.
Savvy shoppers know how to find the best bargains, and there are plenty for back to school. Believe it or not, though, there are some things you should not buy or at least wait a while before doing so.
Don’t buy for school-age children:
Expensive clothes and shoes- They’ll outgrow them quickly, and you won’t even get your money’s worth.
Fall apparel- Wait until after Labor Day. Summer clearance is where you will find the best deals right now.
Tablets- They may be cool, but if your child is really using it for school, a laptop is a better buy. It’s easier for word processing and you can even find them under $200.
Don’t buy for college students:
Printers- They may be able to turn in work electronically, or they can use computer labs to print.
Textbooks- Wait until classes begin (or at least closer to that time) — they might drop the class. Plus, used books are cheaper.
Pricey Dorm Supplies- Don’t waste money on things like expensive sheets (that will be stained and washed over and over) or gear and gadgets that will never be used.
Other items to ignore or wait for:
School or class-specific supplies- Some teachers want specific types of supplies for class. It might be best to wait until the first week of school to get this sorted out. Plus, there are often additional items to purchase for classes like math, art and electives.
Trendy gear for younger kids- Children often change their minds about what’s cool and cute. The backpack or lunch box with the latest action hero on it might not be worth the price. Let them go to school with what they already have. You’ll be able to better assess their needs a week or so into school. Plus, you can get a better price after the rush is over.
Smartphones- Sales of phones will get better as Black Friday draws closer. School-age children really only need a device that allows them to call and text. Determine if college-age students should be added to the family plan or have a stand alone.
Sports gear- Coaches will often explain or provide a list of what’s needed — don’t buy items without checking first. While you can find some discounts on fall gear, now is actually the time to stock up on sports items for spring. Buy up a size if you need to.
Also keep in mind ways to save during tax-free weekends.
