Back to School Trends: 2011 is the Year to Save

NBC recently reported that stores all across the country are hopeful as late summer and early fall approach.  This is the start of the second largest buying season of the year – back to school shopping.  The same broadcast said the sum spent on clothing, furniture, office equipment, and general supplies for the classroom just for kids to return to school in 2010 was more than fifty-five billion dollars.  The question is whether or not 2011 will see the same.

Like all of those other Americans, while looking to get your child ready for the big first day you are probably in the market for price reductions and sales.  After all, with the current economic conditions as they are, we all need to scrimp and save as much as possible.  Fortunately, stores like Wal-Mart, Staples, and Toys ‘R Us have already started “rolling back” prices on the smaller necessities. 

However, not all students are ready to take to the halls of a local elementary or high school.  For those going away to universities and colleges, there are different sorts of needs to be considered.  The larger items like beds, dressers, desks, lamps, and chairs that are needed to fill the new apartment, dorm room, or house, have not always been overly affordable.  Analysts suggest, though, that in 2011, discount beds and household items are going to be even more easily accessible online.  Plus, websites like designyourdorm.com make it simpler to plan ahead, so kids and their parents can take advantage of bedroom sets, saving more money by bundling.

If you are dreading the spending spree needed to get your student back on track for the 2011-2012 school year, there are a couple of things that you can do to save your wallet a beating this year.  Register your email address with your favorite stores – even if it means starting another email account just for this purpose because the coupons can be well worth the influx of e-marketing.  Also, even if you are never a newpaper reader, this might be the best time of year to start paying attention.  Newspapers list the big sales of the week or weekend, which means that you will know when it is the best time to buy one cent notebooks, ten dollar denim, or get fifty dollars off your daughter’s favorite bedding.  Small efforts like this can equate to huge savings in the long run.