Best of Back to School Sales

Shop Prime Day, July 15 - 16

Amazon has turned Prime Day, a once-blip on the July calendar, into a full retail bonanza in the middle of July. Often called the summertime "Black Friday," it's happening in just a couple of days, so in preparation, check out these tips:

• Sign up for a 30-Day Free Trial: You don't have to be a Prime member to get all the deals offered: Use their 30-day free trial. Just be sure to cancel before the membership charges hit your card. Set a reminder in your phone or email (or both).
• Use the Waitlist Feature: Even if you did miss an item, add it to your shopping cart and refresh the page. If shoppers who have the item you want in their cart and don't check out within 15 minutes, their item(s) are automatically removed from their carts and voila, the item is now yours. Remember: refresh constantly, then check out immediately.
• Go Beyond Amazon: Prime Day is catching on with other retailers - Target, Macy's, Fred Meyer, eBay, Walmart, and more are all jumping in with their own deals. Log in to any site that you plan to shop for supplies to see if the retailer is participating. This blogger has their eyes on a specialty "galaxy" print backpack their kiddo has to have: I'm thinking my daughter's chances are looking up for a significant discount.

It's Okay if You Miss Prime Day

Breathe ... there were back-to-school sales before Prime Day, and there are plenty of sales after Prime Day. More discounts are on the horizon, often with the right deals and brands you wanted, anyway. Be on the lookout at the end of July and beginning of August.

Sign Up for Marketing Emails

Ask your dear daughter/son what they like RIGHT NOW. They might have changed their mind from what they liked yesterday. Not like this blogger has any experience with that. Then visit the retailer or brand's site and sign up for their marketing blasts. You'll soon see smoking deals. I wait for a weekend when my daughter's fave store offers $10 jeans storewide, a discount they don't deliver any other time during the year.

Budget with Your Student

The weekend is here. The sales have hit your inbox. You have a budget. Ready? Not yet: Go through your student's closet and determine what they need - as a team. My friend started doing this with her daughter when she was as young as 9 and continues the practice years later. Then, at the store, the mom gives her daughter a set budget and watches as her daughter makes excruciating decisions, calculating if the oversized sweatshirt is really worth having over that neon long-sleeve. Shoes and backpacks are not included, nor are basic essentials (underwear, etc.). The practice teaches budgeting, but even better, and more often than not, her child truly loves every single piece.