From Shopping Expert Michelle Madhok
The frenzied back-to-school shopping season is upon us, and more than ever, it’s evident that parents want a new and thriftier approach to purchasing their child’s back-to-school needs for the upcoming school year! It’s more than just thriftier, Moms want to save hours, dollars and the headaches of visiting multiple stores and waiting in long lines.
Here are some top tips for saving time and money from online shopping expert Michelle Madhok. Previously featured on The TODAY Show, Martha Stewart, MSNBC, Rachael Ray and Fox & Friends, Michelle is a well-known expert who can help parents get through this year’s back-to-school shopping with flying colors!
Back to School Savings
1. Shop online. Only. Avoid the back-to-school mayhem entirely. Carve out time with each child to cyber shop, saving contents of shopping carts until all the kids are done!
2. Sign-up for Price Alerts – Sites exist where you can sign-up to be notified when an item is marked down
3. Earn cash back on purchases – Take advantage of websites like Ebates.com shopping websites that allow you to earn up to 20% cash back on online purchases
4. Don’t pay for shipping – Join a service like ShopRunner that will give you fast, FREE shipping!
5. Shop from the bottom up – Hit view all and then shop from the bottom up of the sale page. Everyone else will be shopping top down so things sell-out more quickly at the top of the page.
6. Make a list – List out who you need to buy for on an organizing site like rememberthemilk.com and check-off when you score something for them
7. Know the and return policies – Many items may be FINAL SALE, and are nonrefundable
8. Skip the sales tax – Get big savings when you combine a sale and a coupon with a state-tax holiday. Sixteen states have tax holidays this year.