I just read a great article entitled “Back to School Shopping Shouldn’t Leave You Broke” at www.Crosswalk.com, written by Tawra Kellam from www.LivingOnADime.com.

So true, we should not have to bust the budget or bank just to get the kids back in school! Tawra shares some excellent money saving tips:

• Wait for the list to come out and stick to it, otherwise you might buy things you don’t need. Remember, the Bank of Mom doesn’t pay for frills. Any extras the kids want will have to be funded from their own cash reserves. I do understand that it is nice for kids to have “hip” back-to-school supplies. I look at yard sales and thrift stores for brand-name finds. For instance, I recently found a gently used Barbie backpack and a Barbie lunch box, and no one would know that I paid $1.00 each instead of the $32 that Becky Johnson’s mom paid. Who says stay at home mom’s don’t make any money? (more…)