Free School Supplies: Where to Find Them
Well, it’s nearly that time of the year again: the start of a new school year. As the summer draws to a close, there’s a good chance your kids aren’t the only ones complaining – you’ve probably also heard a grumble or two out of your wallet.
During the back to school shopping season, it often feels like you’re constantly doling out money. The list of things to buy seems endless: clothes, shoes, school supplies, extra-curricular activity fees, etc. To help relieve the strain on your wallet, I’ve compiled a list of options that may help you score free school supplies!
If you are in need of free school supplies, contact local organizations and foundations. A great starting place is your local news affiliate because they often highlight local donors. A quick search on their website should point you in the right direction. You can also keep an eye out for community events; check for flyers in local restaurants and retailers and ads in the paper.
At this time of the year, many communities host fundraisers to secure school supplies for kids in need. For example, an event in my area is the Price Hill Back to School Fair where 1,000 students receive free backpacks and school supplies.
If, on the other hand, you’re fortunate enough to be in a position to help, there are plenty of very worthy organizations you can make a contribution to such as the Kids in Need Foundation. This foundation provides free school supplies nationally to the students most in need.
Another wonderful cause is Operation Homefront; with the help of the Dollar Tree, Operation Homefront is launching the 2015 Back to School Brigade where school supplies and backpacks are donated to children of members of the military (deployed, wounded, or active duty including the National Guard and Reserve Members). For additional details and to see if registration is open in your area, go here or you can call your local field office for more information. If you would like to donate supplies to Operation Homefront you can do so at more than 4,000 Dollar Tree stores nationwide or make a monetary contribution here.
There are numerous options to obtain free paper, pencils, glue and other supplies, but did you know you can receive free textbooks from Amazon.com? Yep, just head to the Kindle store where you will find textbooks for Algebra, Geometry, Physics, Earth Science and more all for free. Even better, you don’t have to own a Kindle to download these free eBooks. You can access them on your computer or mobile device with these free Kindle apps. Plus if you are a member of Amazon Prime, you can choose from over 180,000 books to borrow for free with no due dates.
A final approach to receiving free school supplies requires a bit of hard work, but I assure you it will be worth the effort. Follow your favorite money saving sites like FreebieFindingMom.com to ensure you stay up to date on the latest back to school deals, freebies and coupons. Often times when you combine coupons or rebates with items on sale, you can get cheap or even free school supplies. When you find some sweet deals on school supplies, do not hesitate to stock up to prevent having to pay full price on those items during the school year. If you have more supplies than your kids will use this school year, consider donating those items to a worthy cause. Let’s make sure all kids can go to school with the supplies they need to have a happy and successful school year.
Do you know of any other ways to get free school supplies? Please share in the comments.
Thanks, Hip 2 Save!
