So, we all now know how to save money on things like clothing and other back to school stuff, but how can you save money on the all of the fees that it takes to actually send your kids back to school?  You know what I mean, registration fees, lunch fees, school sports fees, etc.

Here are several hidden ways to save money on back to school:

• Check for scholarships.  Depending on your actual need, there may be scholarships available for certain registration fees.  
• Skip the extras.  I just registered my daughter for high school and they charged $30 for a yearbook.  My daughter had been saving up, so she opted to buy it, but don’t forget that this is not a requirement.  I mean, really, how often are your kids going to actually be looking at that yearbook?
• Make lunches at home.  Unless you qualify for reduced or free lunches, school lunch is quite expensive.  You will save a significant amount of money by making the kids cold lunches at home.  
• Look into reduced sports fees.  It doesn’t matter if your child is playing sports for the school or a different sports program (kids inc, etc), there are often scholarships and reduced fees for families in need. Sometimes the fees will be cut in half, sometimes they will be discounted even more.  Alternatively, they also occasionally allow payment plans.
• Cut back on new school clothes.  Chances are, your child doesn’t need hundreds of dollars worth of new back to school clothes, maybe cut back on those a little bit to free up other money.

Back to school is expensive enough, there is no need to add more stress to it by stretching your budget beyond its means.  If you are struggling to make ends meet, there are things that you can do to make it easier to afford.

Good luck and happy back to school everyone!

Public school buses parked in a line with doors open

When school is getting ready to start again, life just gets busy and hectic and it feels like you simply don’t have time for anything.  I have three children, I know the drill. This year though I have a kid going into middle school and one in high school, plus a toddler in tow, I need all the time I can get.  

So, if you are like me and you need some help with time management, here are some back to school time savings tips:

• Make a schedule.  Make a schedule of the things you need to do and plan accordingly.  Combine trips, plan shopping trips together, etc.
• Shop online.  I’m all for supporting local businesses, but the reality is, online shopping helps you save a lot of time and sometimes a lot of money in general.
• Meal plan.  Create a meal plan for the week or month ahead.  Planning your meals in advance cuts down on time needed throughout the day.
• Recruit the kids to help.  I know it seems easier to just do all of the work yourself, but I promise you once you actually hand off some responsibility to the kids, it will start getting easier.  Plus, they need to learn these responsibilities anyway.
• Get schedules early.  Be sure to get the kids schedules early so that you know exactly what times they will need to arrive at school or the bus stop.

What things have you found to be best at helping you save time when it comes to back to school time?  Time management hasn’t always been my strong suit and I still to this day find that I falter in it from time to time.  I would love to hear any tips and/or pointers that you have found helpful in saving you time.