Believe us when we say we know all about how tight money can get, especially in the fall when school is starting up again. How are you supposed to balance another part-time job among your other various jobs while keeping up with all your class and getting the necessary eight hours of sleep per night? Before you decide to start selling your body parts to science, here are a few life hacks that might make your back-to-school shopping just a little easier.
1. Shop during tax-free weekends
Ohio has a tax-free weekend at the end of every Aug. just before school starts. Any and all clothes, shoes and school supplies are free of tax during this three-day event. This is a great way to save a few bucks, especially if items are already on sale.
2. Sell or exchange the clothes you don’t wear anymore
Your gently used clothes and shoes can be sold at stores like Plato’s Closet and Clothes Mentor for extra cash. Keep in mind that they do have some guidelines; Your clothes should be in good condition and need to have been in stores in the last two years or so. They will offer you an amount of money in cash or offer to take that amount off your bill if you’d rather get clothes from their store. Simply take these gently used items to a Plato’s Closet or Clothes Mentor location and give it a shot!
3. Don’t forget about thrift stores
From Goodwill to Salvation Army and Value World, thrift stores are always a great place to find cheap clothes and shoes when you’re low on cash and in need of some new(ish) things. If you’ve got time to sift through the racks, you’re bound to find some nice things!
4. Sell your textbooks from previous semesters
If you decided to buy, not rent, your textbooks last semester there are a number of websites that will buy them off you and offer you free shipping labels to send them off. Be sure to check out Amazon or Bookscouter to see a number of companies offering competitive prices for your books. Not only can you sell your books here, but you may be able to find copies of the books you need for the upcoming semester on these sites, too.