FORGET that it’s the middle of August and seemingly late to just now be designing a plan of action for back-to-school shopping. It’s never too late to save a few dollars and there’s always time to make your money work for you. Also, if you’re anything like my family and friends, last-minute shopping and braving the hustle of sales is the norm and this will be the opportune time for you to revel in a mid-year, Christmas-like adrenaline rush.

Here are several simple and Google-worthy pieces of last minute advice that will allow you to have some cash left over after your shopping spree.

One word, five letters, thousands of dollars in savings… LISTS! They are your friend. Lists get you what you need and keep you away from the aisles that are filled with endless opportunities for waste.

Ensure to create a list of fixed costs, including tuition, medical and auxiliary fees, and any other bills that need to be paid over directly to the school or which may affect your child’s ability to enrol. Indeed, there are also several other expenses, besides the obvious tuition, that are imperative to the functioning of the institution and your child by extension. While not mandatory, effort should be made to pay these fees as soon as possible and in most cases, arrangements can be made with the school to facilitate those unable to pay all or pay at once.

A school supplies list is of the utmost importance in ensuring that your child does not walk through the door without some critical items which facilitate learning, such as a bag, geometry set and writing books. School supplies can be bought at marts, outlets or corner stores, so quality should be at the heart of every purchase. Do not be fooled by the hype, trends and pleas of your ‘schoolers’, nothing beats a good pair of plain leather shoes with no whips, bells or collapsible sides (isn’t that just the craziest idea…wait, that’s kinda cool).

Importantly, and for some university friends I had, most importantly, the wardrobe. Do an inventory of what’s needed NOT what’s wanted. Shoes, socks, shirts, tunics, undershirts (a must if you’re from the country like I am and thrown into the heat of ‘town’ all wide-eyed and perspiring), all the things that give that added comfort to a child’s school readiness.

While many may use this as a chance to reward their child for exceptional performance or achievement or just to give them new things, always bear in mind that thrift is not a crime and comes at limited cost.

For those who want to conserve even more, here are three tips guaranteed to work for you as they did for me and my penny-pinching mother.

1. The youthful expression ‘wear weh you have’ is not just an expression, it’s a call to action. If your clothes are such that they can be worn for another year — your uniform is without gum-stains and has its original colour and your shoes are good to go with a new pair of laces — then wear it!

2. Schools usually have book programmes (well, up to secondary level at least) but from my experience, most require parents to supplement them. Your first impulsion should not be to purchase them as they’re not cheap. Find a cousin, older friend, church sister or anyone who would have had kids using the same book and borrow it. No one can fault you for ‘boopsing’ a book instead of spending thousands to buy it.

3. Thirdly, wait for it…Fashion’s Night Out (FNO). Scheduled for September 8th, FNO is just a week after the start of the new school term so if its purchase can be delayed, WAIT! With hundreds of businesses signing on, there’s nothing you need that can’t be had then, and for much cheaper.