As the summer starts to wind down, you can’t help but think about Back to School. While as a kid it was exciting to plan a back to school shopping trip, as the person footing the bill, a reality check is in order.  Why not bring your child into the fold? Explain that families have to budget, and let your children help you find deals to stay within it.  Here are some additional tips from our friends at Murray & Bee:

1. Reuse: Figure out what is usable from last year. You likely have pens, pencil crayons and many other materials. If you organize them they will be as good as new.  Make a game of it. Your kids will love dressing up their old stuff to make it look new again.
2. Prioritize what you buy and cost it out: Within the budget, allow your older kids to choose how to spend the allotted budget. It will help teach them the consequence that selecting one trendier or more expensive item means cutting back a little somewhere else.
3. Buy stuff used: Buying used can be a great alternative to retail and you can get high quality, well taken care of school gear like knapsacks and sporting equipment like skates or a bike for a fraction of the retail price. Resource: Check out Murray & Bee for a great selection of used baby and kid gear.
4. Be careful buying in bulk: We know deals can be had if you buy this way but you may not use all of it and your kid’s tastes can change on a dime.

A little more about Murray & Bee

Murray & Bee is a great source for helping to ease the back to school budget woes. With an ever growing list of inventory posted by other parents nearby, Murray & Bee offers parents a safe, secure and easy to use platform to buy and sell gently used baby and kids gear.

Why it’s worth your time to check out their easy to use website:

1. Their Curated Inventory: They have a great selection of inventory of baby and children’s gear that is constantly turning. They audit every item to ensure it meets their standards for great stuff and all items link to new versions at online retailers for comparison shopping
2. They’re Local: They connect like-minded parents from the same cities, suburbs and neighbourhoods
3. They’re Trusted: They provide a tested platform to exchange funds online, make arrangements for pick-ups and review your peers. Plus, they’re cashless so you don’t have to show up at a stranger’s house with cash.
4. They’re Secure: They back every transaction through our dispute resolution policy and our involvement
5. They’re Communal: They partner with local Bee Hives (retail store partners) where parents can meet for exchanges
6. They’re Charitable: They encourage our members to give back and enable them to support The New Mom Project
7. They’re Eco-Conscious: They firmly believe in reducing waste & consumption by reusing as much as possible
8. Above all, they are parents too!