back to school deals - Stuff Parents Need

Thanks to ShopAtHome.com and Belk for partnering with me on today’s post about back-to-school deals. All thoughts, opinions, and total lack of creative skills are my own. Affiliate links included.

Yesterday I had to go shopping for clothing for an upcoming trip. I only shopped inside a store because I didn’t have enough time to order stuff online. I spent an hour scouring racks and trying on a dozen things in the fitting room. I did walk away with the items I needed (a new skirt and 2 new pairs of shoes) but it absolutely WORE ME OUT.

Additionally, when I got to the register I realized that I didn’t have any coupons to help shave something off the bill. This is hardly ever a problem when I shop online because I can often find additional savings opportunities through ShopAtHome.com. Shopathome.com back-to-school

Most everyone still has at least a week before school starts back, and most of us have 3-4 more weeks, so let’s take advantage of the current time lead and get that back-to-school shopping done online!

Right now, Belk (a department store largely in the South, but available for everyone to shop with thanks to the internet!) is having some terrific sales, and ShoptAtHome.com has DOUBLED their cash back offer. By clicking through the Belk link on ShopAtHome.com you are eligible to save 12% on your order, and that’s in addition to any coupons you might be using (currently ShopatHome.com has 23 coupon coupon offers for Belk).

Let me demonstrate how to rock what ShopAtHome.com and Belk have going on right now:

First head to the Belk page on ShopAtHome.com.

Then look through the coupons. Right now I’m seeing one for $10 off a $50 order. I’m going to click this link to get my savings code, and then I’m taken to the Belk site. Right now I’m looking for a few adorable pieces for my youngest, who is starting preschool in a few weeks. I’m a fan of Rare Editions and Bonnie Jean, because both lines tend to have whimsical, colorful prints and patterns that remind me a bit of Matilda Jane. But thanks to the Belk sale and the ShopatHome.com discounts, I won’t be paying Matilda Jane prices! 🙂

This 2-piece set is already marked down 40% and is currently priced at $30. Into my cart it goes!

And this owl outfit? Yes, please! It’s also on sale right now for $30, also 40% off.

Now given the ridiculously cute factor of these outfits, $60 isn’t too terribly bad, but I definitely want to do better. So I’m going to use that $10 off coupon code I found at ShopatHome.com to bring my total down to $50. Then I’m going to check out and pay the total, but here’s where the perks of ShopatHome come back into play: after checking out, I know that I am going to be credited back 12% of my purchase through ShopatHome. So I’m going to see $6 of that payment come back to me, and all I had to do to earn it was use ShopatHome.com. By using this site, what would have cost me $60 actually only cost me $44. And FYI if you like these brands…I saw quite a bit on the site that was 75% off!

And on top of all that awesome, ShopatHome.com also has the ShopGold program, which I think of as a loyalty program. Each store you shop at through the website is worth a certain amount of ShopGold coins. Coins that you earn by shopping can be redeemed for gift cards down the road. It takes a while to earn enough to get a gift card, but I see this as icing on the cake and a really great way that ShopAtHome.com is thanking their members for remembering to shop with them. More savings on top of all of the other savings is a pretty nice thank you! 🙂

ShopatHome.com sends checks out monthly, once you reach a minimum of $20 in your account. With the great cash back offers they have on hand, it won’t be too hard to earn that amount, friends. If you haven’t signed up for ShopAtHome.com, what are you waiting for? It’s completely free to join and is designed to save you as much time and money as possible.

Back-to-School Savings!

Want to know a simple online shopping trick that has saved me several hundred dollars over the years and takes all of 5 seconds? Every time I shop online, prior to checking out I head over to RetailMeNot.com and see if there is a special coupon or offer for that store that I can take advantage of and save a bit of money. As back-to-school season gears up, I want you to get in the same habit I’m already in, and check out RetailMeNot before placing any more online orders!

I would say that at least 75% of the time I discover a way to knock the price down a bit, either by scoring free shipping or taking a certain dollar amount off the price. If I’m not feeling picky about the particular store I shop at, I can almost always find at least one store that is running a special offer for that type of item, as well. It is one of the easiest ways I have yet to find to save money, and it all happens at RetailMeNot, the largest digital coupon website in the United States.

Right now at RetaillMeNot you can score coupons for everything from school uniforms, to backpacks, to books, and even for desktops and laptops.All of the coupons found on RetailMeNot are totally free. There’s nothing to buy and LOTS to save!

In particular, think about all that you can save on supplies for the classroom. For the 2013-2014 school year, schools in 35 states are operating with budgets that haven’t been this low since 2008. Budget cuts are very real and teachers are having to dig even deeper into their own pockets to help pay for supplies for their students. Be part of the solution this year by donating some supplies you can score through RetailMeNot for an amazing price!

Win a Classroom Shopping Spree!

RetailMeNot is also hosting a really fantastic contest where you can win a classroom shopping spree! Entering is really simple. All you need to do is create a video (nothing fancy necessary!) nominating your favorite teacher who could really use some extra school supplies. The teacher who wins will get a 3 minutes Costco shopping spree, all thanks to RetailMeNot! From computers, to crayons to snacks for the kids, there’s no limit to the great things that could be snagged at that store! Check out the official rules and details here, and get your nomination in by Saturday, August 10, 2013. One lucky teacher is going to win…why shouldn’t it be the one you know deserves it?

Find Even More Deals!

Back-to-school savings at RetailMeNot barely even scratch the surface of all you can find there. You can find sales (one of my favorite things to browse!), as well as deals at local ! You can even stay informed about the best deals while you are out and about. Just download the, and you can make sure you are always getting the best deal at the mall or other stores you might frequent. This was something I actually didn’t know about, but you better believe I just downloaded it, myself!

Are you ready for back-to-school shopping? Can you believe it is already time??? What’s on your list this year? Are you already a RetailMeNot fan, like me?

Thanks to RetailMeNot for sponsoring this content. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own, as always.