5 Back-to-school tips to save money, time, and resources
1. Plan ahead
- Before shopping, sort through what you already have.
- Make a list so you’re less likely to buy things you don’t need.
2. Borrow or share
Ask friends, neighbors, or relatives if they have school supplies, sports gear, or kids clothing they no longer need.
Post your back-to-school list on your local Buy Nothing group (search on Facebook or the BuyNothing app). It’s a great way to ask for what you need, and your neighbors may be happy to clean out items they no longer need but haven’t wanted to throw away.
You can also:
- Organize a swap with other families at your school, neighborhood, or apartment building.
- Trade backpacks, lunch gear, or clothes with friends before buying new.
3. Shop local reuse stores
You can find great school supplies without buying new ones—and they often cost less!
- SCRAP PDX has creative, affordable school and craft materials.
- Free Geek sells refurbished computers and electronics, and takes donations of your old ones.
- Rose City Reads Bookstore, operated by Friends of the Multnomah County Library, offers used books at low prices. All proceeds support library programs.
Other local used bookstores are also great places to find affordable reading material, textbooks, and more.
4. Choose secondhand clothes first
Kids grow fast and that means they often outgrow clothes before they wear them out.
Shop secondhand
Save money and reduce waste by shopping secondhand first. Portland has lots of great options for finding gently used kids' clothing, gear, and toys.
To find kids' resale shops, search for:
- “used kids clothes near me”
- “children’s resale clothing Portland”
- “kids clothing consignment shop”
Get clothes (and more) for free
Check your local Buy Nothing group, Nextdoor, or neighborhood swap events or organizations, like St. Johns Swap & Play.
While you’re at it, clean out clothes and toys your kids no longer use and give them away through these same sites.
5. Rethink lunch
Use reusable containers, cloth napkins, and snack bags. A “waste-free lunch” is better for your wallet and the planet.
Learn how to pack waste-free lunches
Make it fun: Involve your kids!
Turn back-to-school prep into a scavenger hunt!
Challenge your kids to see how many school supplies they can gather from around the house. Last year’s backpack, forgotten notebooks with blank pages, and pencil stashes in the junk drawer all count!
Give a small reward, like a trip to a local ice cream shop or park, to the best "school supply scavenger."
Once you've gathered the goods, set up a "school stuff station" at home. A bin, shelf, or drawer works great. Help kids get into the habit of putting supplies back in the same spot every day.
Let kids personalize their supplies:
- Decorate last year’s backpack with sew-on patches or fabric paint.
- Make your own pencil pouch using zippers, fabric scraps, or old jeans.
Pick up low-cost supplies and creative materials at SCRAP PDX.
It makes a difference!
Back-to-school season is the perfect time to build new habits. From your morning routine to how you get to school small choices add up.
Each time you reuse an item, share with a neighbor, or skip a new purchase, you're helping to conserve energy, protect natural resources, and reduce pollution from manufacturing and shipping [EPA].
Try one new thing this back-to-school season: You might find it’s easier than you think!