![\"big](\"https:\/\/www.theadairgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/big-family-little-budget-back-to-school-shopping-tips.jpg\")
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When it is time for your children to go back to school, there are a lot of expenses to consider. There are new uniforms, textbooks, stationary, transport, field trips, extra-curricular activities, and lunch costs. Budgeting for back-to-school shopping can be overwhelming if you have a big family, with lots of children at various stages of their schooling.<\/span><\/p>\n No one understands better how to save on back-to-school shopping than large families. Families like reality TV stars the Duggars and the Bates know especially how smart shopping and thoughtful planning can result in big savings. For these families, and others like them, cost cutting at any time of the year is vitally important. <\/span><\/p>\n No matter how large or small your family might be, some tips and tactics from these mega families can help reduce the cost of your children\u2019s back-to-school clothing and supplies, taking pressure off your family\u2019s budget and wallet.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n For mega families, unless they carefully plan and follow a budget, financial disaster can quickly follow. Back-to-school expenses, like taxes, come around every year at the same time. One budgeting strategy used by families with lots of children is putting away money every month for specific purposes, including school needs. <\/span><\/p>\n This can be a useful tactic for any size family to help them survive this time of the year.<\/span><\/p>\n Here is what mega families do: Work out how much you might spend, divide it by the number of payments you could make over the year and put that amount away each month or even every week. That way, when it\u2019s time to buy school clothes, footwear, and supplies, you have a stash of cash set aside for just that purpose.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Can you imagine the expense of trying to clothe six, eight, or more children? The costs can destroy any budget.<\/span><\/p>\n Children grow out of clothes quickly, ruin them on the playground, or become fashionistas and refuse to wear certain colors or styles. Mega families are acutely conscious of these problems and have developed strategies to deal with it.<\/span><\/p>\n Here are some of the tactics parents of large families recommend to help save on school clothing costs:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/p>\n <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Mega families quickly learn that unless you instill in your child a sense of responsibility and need to take care of his or her school clothes or school uniform early on, your clothing expense budget can be astronomical. <\/span><\/p>\n Caring for school clothes allows you to pass them on to younger siblings or sell them to someone else. <\/span><\/p>\n Some clothes care tips from mega families include:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/li>\n <\/span><\/li>\n Food is a massive expense when it comes to large families. This can be a huge part of any budget, even for smaller families.<\/span><\/p>\n Growing children eat a lot! Three meals a day plus snacks, seven days a week, for even one child adds up quickly. With six or more, the costs can seem astronomical.<\/span><\/p>\n Mega families know, however, how to keep these costs under control. <\/span><\/p>\n You can cut down on this expense with a little planning ahead and still keep your children healthy and energized. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/li>\n <\/span><\/li>\n <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Here is what mega families do:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/li>\n This is an area where mega family parents excel. Today, even public schools require you to purchase many items that in the past were provided.<\/span><\/p>\n Pens and pencils, rulers, calculators, and textbooks\u2014children need all sorts of supplies before heading back to school. Organizing this can be a fun task for some families, and a way to start preparing and anticipating that first day back at school. <\/span><\/p>\n Renee from the <\/span>Little Earthling Blog<\/span><\/a>, another mega family favorite resource, suggests the following tips and tricks that she uses when dealing with her family of 14. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/span><\/li>\n <\/span><\/li>\n <\/span><\/li>\n <\/span><\/li>\n Some more tips mega families use that might help you cost cut at this time of the year are: <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/li>\n <\/span><\/li>\n <\/span><\/li>\n <\/span><\/li>\n <\/span><\/li>\n <\/p>\n Extra-curricular activities can enhance your children\u2019s experience of their school years, give them new skills, and even help them to make new friends. But as families with multiple children know they can also be expensive and time-consuming.<\/span><\/p>\n Here is how mega families cope:<\/span><\/p>\n![\"back](\"https:\/\/www.theadairgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/back-to-school-divider-1.jpg\")
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General budgeting tips<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n![\"back](\"https:\/\/www.theadairgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/back-to-school-divider-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\nBuying school clothes<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
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![\"hand-me-down](\"https:\/\/www.theadairgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/hand-me-down-clothing-quote.jpg\")
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![\"kids](\"https:\/\/www.theadairgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/kids-in-uniform-playing-at-school.jpg\")
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![\"back](\"https:\/\/www.theadairgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/back-to-school-divider-3.jpg\")
<\/h2>\nCaring for school clothes <\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
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![\"clothes](\"https:\/\/www.theadairgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/clothes-care-tips-graphic.jpg\")
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![\"back](\"https:\/\/www.theadairgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/back-to-school-divider-4.jpg\")
<\/h2>\nHow to feed your children at school<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
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![\"back](\"https:\/\/www.theadairgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/back-to-school-divider-5.jpg\")
<\/h2>\nTransport to and from school and activities<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"mother](\"https:\/\/www.theadairgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/mother-and-son-riding-in-bus.jpg\")
Mega families know it is impossible to coordinate transportation by yourself for after school and other activities. Even school transport is difficult if you have children in elementary, middle and high school at the same time.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
![\"back](\"https:\/\/www.theadairgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/back-to-school-divider-6.jpg\")
<\/h2>\nSchool supplies<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
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![\"school](\"https:\/\/www.theadairgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/school-supplies-wooden-background.jpg\")
Take notice of back-to-school sales and shop at a variety of different stores, making sure to buy everything you need at the cheapest price you can manage.<\/span>\n\n
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![\"back](\"https:\/\/www.theadairgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/back-to-school-divider-7.jpg\")
<\/p>\nExtra-curricular activities<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"two](\"https:\/\/www.theadairgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/two-children-on-swim-team.jpg\")
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