Mami of Multiples

4 Back-To-School Shopping Tips to Save Time and Money ( + 100 Target Gift Card Giveaway)

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Back-to-school season is underway with many schools starting the new school year in August and others after Labor Day in September.  As parents can relate, school supplies can get costly for families especially when having various school aged children.  In our family of 4 boys, we have 2 school aged children (twins) and 1 recent high school graduate who is preparing for college.  According to a recent survey by the National Retail Federation, families with children in grades K-12 plan to spend an average $673.57 on apparel and accessories, electronics, shoes and school supplies.  College students and families with children in college plan to spend an average of $888.71, according to the survey.

School Shop at Target

With so much planning and organization needed to prepare kids for another school year, having a one-stop store to shop – Target – to find all of your back-to-school items is key to save time and money.

4 Back-To-School Shopping Tips to Help You Save Time and Money (#BTS @Target #TargetStyle) Share on X

1. Lists are an Absolute Must!

Get your school supply list from your school early (by visiting the school or print a copy from your school’s website) and make a list of everything needed for each child.  See what you have at home in supplies that can be used for the new school year and then finalize your school supply list.  Put together what is needed for each child into one major list. Combine what is needed so instead of four lists mentioning the need for 2 boxes of pencils, put 8 boxes of pencils on the master list. With have 1 master school supply list, you take only one list to the store to help streamline the process.

2. Know When to Shop

Utilize the back-to-school tax free holidays, back-to-school sales and specials to stretch your dollar.  At Target, during the weeks of August 7th and August 14th, anytime you spend $25 on back-to-school items, you will get a $5 Target gift card back! Its awesome to know that while you are spending , you will be getting money back in your wallet! Throughout August, there are more savings at Target that will help with budgeting.  All kids apparel are up to 30% off all week-long starting August 7th and all uniforms will be 30% off during the weeks of August 7th and August 14th.

Kids' Uniforms at Target

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3. Invest in a Bigger Size

Kids grow rapidly.  Often through their regular sports activities and physical education throughout the school year, it can seem like you can’t keep them in right sized clothes fast enough.  One year I had bought the twins a new pair of sneakers for the new school year and a few months later in December, the sneakers didn’t fit them anymore.  They grew another shoe size in 4 months.  Think about the growth and development of your child.  Try not to purchase clothes that fit them “just right” exactly now but buy clothes that give kids room to grow.  A really affordable investment is Target’s Cat & Jack, a new line of owned-brand kid’s apparel and accessories that is inspired by kids.

Target's Cat & Jack

Reasons to love it?

  • Most Cat & Jack items are under $20.

  • Cat & Jack includes colorful and spirited everyday apparel, accessories, footwear, swimwear and sleepwear in addition to school uniforms.

  • All Cat & Jack items are meant to last but, if anything doesn’t, you can return it up to 1 year later with receipt.  That is a 1 year guarantee on kids clothing – WOW!

  • Cat & Jack includes sizes 4-18 and 2T-5T, and Baby Cat & Jack includes sizes 0-24M, offering families one high-quality, affordable brand that they can shop together as kids grow.

4. Stick To Your Budget

Taking a little time to organize and become informed will help create your back-to-school budget.  Stores like Target start to advertise their back-to-school sales and specials early (in July and August) so you can start to plan ahead for the specific school needs of your children.  (Target’s Cartwheel will feature a number of back-to-school offers through September).  Before you shop, take inventory of whats in your children’s closets.  Remove (and donate) any clothes that they won’t be using anymore so you can know exactly what clothing items are needed to help save when shopping. Even if you don’t have your school-specific list available, you can start purchasing the basics (pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) when they go on sale during the summer.

Star Wars at Target

Thanks to our friends at Target, we are giving away a $100 Target gift card to help you with your back-to-school shopping! One winner will be chosen at random. No purchase necessary.  You can enter the giveaway more than once using the Rafflecopter entry form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want to learn more about the back-to-school styles? Check out Target.com/BacktoSchool
Facebook: facebook.com/target
Twitter: @Target #TargetStyle

Twins and School Supplies at Target

For more back-to-school content on Mami of Multiples, visit http://bit.ly/mombts

Happy Back-To-School Shopping!

Disclosure: This post is a sponsored by Target, however, all opinions are our own.

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Joscelyn, Owner of Mami of Multiples & Mami Innovative Media

Joscelyn Ramos Campbell has more than a decade of experience as an award-winning former federal government public relations executive under the Bush and Obama administrations. The “super-connected power mom“ was recently named by Latina Magazine as one of “The 10 Best Latina Mommy Bloggers on the Web“; by CBS News as one of the “Top Bloggers in the Business“; by NBC Latino Work-Life Balance series as a “Top Latina Mom Blogger“; an Empowering Latina in the Marketing Field; by CNBC.com as a Top Latino Social Media Stars and Leading Hispanic Bloggers. She is the owner of Mami Innovative Media and founder of Mami of Multiples, one of the nation’s leading Latina American parenting and lifestyle sites offering resources and helpful tips for families. She is a nationally syndicated Parenting Columnist and co-hosts a Talk Radio Show. Joscelyn is a public speaker, military wife and mother to a teen son and identical twin boys. Connect with Joscelyn at @JoscelynRC & @InnovativeTalk.
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Comments

  2. I really found your tip about finding clothes that give them some growth room. I never really think of that while shopping so I found this very
    Useful!

  4. I like the tip about investing in a bigger size.
    I like you on Facebook as Mary Carmen. I wrote on Target’s FB wall. I follow you on Google Plus as Mary F. My pinterest and instagram id is mami2jcn.

  5. Know when to shop is so important to get the best deals at Target. Using their coupon off of school supplies right now and it really saves me money to watch their sales and ads.

  7. I liked your Target Giveaway post on your Facebook page Name Karen Glatt
    Liked your page also Karen Glatt

  9. I liked the Target Facebook page and told them that you sent me.
    Name on Facebook Karen Glatt

  12. The 4 back to school tips are great and very helpful. Knowing when to shop and buying bigger sizes are really good ideas.

  13. I love the tip about giving them a little growing room when shopping for clothes.

  15. I like tip to stick to your budget.
    I like you on Facebook and liked the giveaway post on Facebook as Elena Istomina

  20. I learned that being organized and taking the time to do a little research will save me money.

  24. I agree with the tip about lists – it’s really the best way to make sure that you get everything that you need.

  25. I like you on Facebook as Karen Glatt. I wrote on Target’s FB wall Name Karen Glatt I follow you on Google Plus as Karen Glatt My pinterest and instagram id is karenglatt.

  26. What did you learn or found interesting about Target or the 4 back-to-school tips?

    it’s cool cool,but i dont have kids..school out forever to quote a song

  31. I liked the “Know When to Shop” tip, about the deal at Target where if you spend $25 on school supplies you get a $5 Target gift card..

  33. Learned about the $5 gift card back. Also saw a $10 one in the paper Sunday. Wish I had known sooner. Spent $75 at Target back to school shopping end of July. So expensive and received no incentives. School doesn’t start for a couple weeks but if you wait where I live, supplies are gone. Waited one year and never again. So stressful.

  34. I found very interesting Target’s back to school supplies gift card promotion. shopping for 5 kids I’ll take any discount we can get. Thank you for the chance to win!

  42. I practice the invest in a bigger size tip. Saves me money and many times the items are in great shape when the outgrow them.

  44. What I love about Target is their daily deals. I actually started shopping for weekly deals a month ago. The new Cat & Jack new clothes is my favorite, i am going to shop for my four year who will enter VPK this week coming up and her school requires uniform. Looking forward to save at Target !
    *Subscribed via email to newsletter
    * left comment on Target Fb Pg
    *Shared Giveaway on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/44121271329323674/
    *Left comment on ontributor’s page : http://www.mamiofmultiples.com/healthyandfunsummeractivities/#comment-122880

  45. It is a great point to invest in bigger sizes of clothes and shoes! Kids grow like weeds! Invest in larger sizes of pants and simply roll them up.

  48. I like the tip on sticking to your budget. I have always made sure I had a list and checked the sales ads before I started to shop. 🙂

  50. I like tip to stick to your budget.
    subscribe to your email, follow on twitter and facebook and pinterest.

  53. I like that if you shop between August 7th and 14th and spend $25 you get a $5 gift card. Thank you!

  56. I love when Target does their $5 GC back promotions. I’ve taken advantage of that in the past to get some great deals.

  65. I like you on Facebook as Debbi Otto Wellenstein, and I also liked the Target Back to School $100 giveaway.

  68. I like the know when to shop. If you watch the sale ads you can get the best deals at the lowest prices!

  73. Thanks for the great tips! I definitely will be combiing our lists before we go shopping for supplies. In years past, I take both lists and and shuffling back and forth between them. Investing just a little time to combine the lists before we go shopping will definitely save me some time (and frustration) while we’re at the store!

  85. I lfollow you on Pinterest-name karenglatt

    I follow you on Instagram-name karenglatt

    I Follow you on Google+-name Karen Glatt

    I Liked Mami Innovative Media on Facebook-Name Karen Glatt

  86. I really liked the four tips about shopping especially the one about buying a bigger size as kids especially teen boys seem to grow overnight and outgrow clothes quickly.

  87. I love the tip about buying clothing that is bigger in size so it gives them room to grow into!

  92. I agree with all 4 tips. I also buy winter clothes on clearance in the spring and summer clothes on clearance in the fall. it tends to save me alot of money.

  96. I love shopping at Target, and I got some great deals on school supplies. It’s really handy to print off the supply list for each child and take them with me when I shop.

  106. LIKED FB page ………………and “Like” the Target Back-To-School $100 giveaway posted on the Facebook Page

  107. I “liked” the Mami of Multiples Facebook Page AND the Target Back-To-School $100 giveaway posted on the Facebook Page as Betsy Barnes. 🙂

  112. Oh I learned that they have a one year guarantee on their Cat & Jack clothing! That is so wonderful!

  121. I learned a recent survey shows college students and families with children typically spend an average of $888 getting ready for school!

  131. At Target, during the weeks of August 7th and August 14th, anytime you spend $25 on back-to-school items, you will get a $5 Target gift card back!
    If only I would have know earlier :0)

  136. I Like The Mami Of Multiples On Facebook And I Liked The Target Back To School Giveaway Post.

  137. I Like Target On Facebook And Left A Comment On Their Page That Mami Of Multiples Sent Me.

  141. I learned thatt At Target, during the weeks of August 7th and August 14th, anytime you spend $25 on back-to-school items, you will get a $5 Target gift card back! Also remember to check cartwheel savings that will help out also! also use coupons from paper or print coupons are always good to help with savings!

  142. What great ideas to help save at Target for back-to-school shopping! I never think about buying a bigger size for my kids and I should because last year my son grew one size up in the middle of the school year. Thanks for the reminder because I’m going to invest in a couple of pieces that are the next size up.

  147. I love Target and I liked all of the tips. I’ve never thought about buying a bigger size, though. Thank you!

  151. I liked the Target tips. I didn’t know that we were spending that high of an average on apparel, accessories, electronics, shoes and school supplies

  158. I like the tip about investing in a bigger size. Usually we are so focused on getting what we need now that we don’t think of the future.

  159. The tip about investing in a bigger size is the best…. I do this, and have saved a lot of money, as I don’t have to buy clothes as often.

  163. I learned that target will feature back to school items on cartwheel through September !

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