Category: Shopping

Back-to-school season: Whether you and your family have been looking forward to it or dreading it for weeks, it’s officially here. And let’s just say back-to-school shopping will be expensive this year. Not only do you have a lot to buy, but there’s also that whole inflation thing happening.

But even though your list may be a few miles long, these five back-to-school shopping tips can help you prioritize your spending so you can save money—and I think we all want a little more of that right now. So, let’s get started.

1. Make a back-to-school budget

Once you’ve created and prioritized your list of back-to-school needs, it’s time to make a budget. Remember, a budget gives you freedom to spend. When you make a budget and stick to it, you’re telling every single dollar of your hard-earned income where to go (and where not to go).

As you set

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Experts always say things like “plan your meals” or “don’t shop hungry”, but 5 On Your Side went to a grocery store to get inflation-busting tips that they even use.

ST. LOUIS — These days we’re all racking up bigger bills at the grocery store. Groceries are up 11% from last year, despite inflation relief legislation potentially on the horizon.

Experts always say things like “plan your meals” or “don’t shop hungry”, but 5 On Your Side went to a grocery store to get inflation-busting tips that they even use.

Ryan Cuba is the chief merchant at Schnucks. He said there have been a lot of sleepless nights worried about supply chain issues and getting food through the door as grocers have seen double-digit price increases. Still, many stores have door-busting sales to keep customers walking in.

Cuba said a good place to start with deals is looking for manager’s

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Photo-Illustration: by The Strategist; Photos courtesy of the vendors

This article was featured in One Great Story, New York‘s reading recommendation newsletter. Sign up here to get it nightly.

  1. Flax (the stuff from the ’70s with weird spells on the tag are much better than the more present-day offerings)
  2. Uniqlo (the cotton-linen blend items are the way to go, and are extremely soft)
  3. Muji (the dresses in particular are great) -US
Alpha60 I Hat

This one (from a brand beloved by stylish Melburnians) is perfectly minimalist and practical. And since it was designed for use in a country with a depleted ozone layer, it has a broad and bendy brim that offers actual sun protection, as well as a detachable chin strap. -KG

Scala Women's Cotton Hat

The owned-by-two-Strategist-editors, available-on-Amazon-for-$28 Milani is easy to pack down and is a nice bucket-wide brim-hybrid. The nearly identical Scala has a wider color selection. -KS

Frogg Toggs Chilly Mini Cooling Towel

They’re exceedingly pleasant to

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For kids, back to school often means all new stuff. For parents, though, novelty comes at a cost. With prices on the rise ahead of the upcoming school year, many worry that shopping for the likes of Lisa Frank folders and fresh white sneakers could put a strain on their finances.

Some 26% of back-to-school shoppers expect to spend more than $500 on apparel and supplies this year, up from just 7% in 2021, according to a recent survey from Morning Consult. Only 36% say they can afford back-to-school shopping without a problem, with the remainder indicating it’s a significant budgeting concern or that they outright can’t afford it.

“Parents are much more worried and stressed out about affording back-to-school shopping than in previous years,” says Claire Tassin, a retail and ecommerce analyst at Morning Consult. “Many have only just begun shopping, but there is a lot of concern

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With high consumer prices brought on by inflation, many US consumers are looking closely for the best deals, and scammers are ready to lure online shoppers to fraudulent websites with “unbeatable” prices, according to the Better Business Bureau.

Not every unfamiliar website is suspicious, but some can lead to sites that deliver low-quality products or nothing at all, according to the Washington-based Better Business Bureau of the Great West and Pacific.

Though inflation has slipped from the four-decade high it reached in June, people are still grappling with high consumer prices.

Consumer prices jumped 8.5% in July compared with a year earlier, the government said Wednesday, down from a 9.1% year-over-year jump in June.

When shopping for the best online deals, “The key is knowing how to spot suspicious websites and using trusted resources to research a business before making a purchase, said the BBB in a news statement. “Unfamiliar

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