You can save money by saving school supplies and getting as much use out of them as possible.
It may seem difficult as, throughout the school year, supplies can get lost or ruined.
And many children enjoy the task of back-to-school shopping because they can find products that express their personalities.
A good way to start recycling supplies is to store away the left-over and salvageable items that usually appear on your child's supply lists, such as pens, pencils, erasers, and crayons, in zip-lock bags.
Any pens that still have ink in them should be saved, as well as any pencils or crayons that are not broken.
Scrub old pen and pencil pouches and, if they have broken binder rings, try stapling the edge together.
Notebooks, folders, and binders are a bit less easy to reuse but, with a little effort, and your eyes on the dollar signs, you can definitely make it happen.
For notebooks, scrounge through the ones used the year before and tear out the used pages.
Buy a package of large sticker labels and use this to cover up last year's subject and name.
Write on the labels the new subject and rewrite your child's name.
These labels can also work on old folders and binders if they are salvageable.
To start the process of reusing school supplies, buy sturdier binders that will last at least two school years.
Rather than buying a new cheap backpack every school year, spend a little extra cash on a high-quality, durable backpack from a camping or outdoors store in a solid, neutral color.
The backpack will last for years and, because it's a neutral color, will never go out of style.
Simply clean the inside and stitch up any rips before the start of each school year and your little scholar is good to go.
One item that is sometimes not recommended for reuse is your child's lunchbox or sandwich container as bacteria can build up over the school year and summer if not cleaned properly.
Wash the lunchbox thoroughly, keep it open, and let it air dry.
As the grades progress, supply lists get shorter but the items on them get more expensive, most notably scientific calculators.
Students can't always re-use a scientific calculator from the prior school year because teachers often request that they have the latest model.
If this is the case, hand down the old calculator to a younger child or sell it for some cash to put toward the new one.
Buy a protective case for the new calculator and be aware of the warranty that comes with it.
If it's the newest model and your child will be taking a math class the next year as well, inquire about an extended warranty.