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"  By now, you&amp;#039;ve received school supply lists from your child&amp;#039;s teacher with everything from color markers to pricey calculators. And expenses can creep up fast outside the classroom--a clarinet for the school band or a tutor for algebra. So we asked Jeanette Pavini, household savings expert for Coupons.com, how to keep costs down. Use last year&amp;#039;s model. Many schools will list the latest and greatest editions of electronics, like calculators. &amp;quot;I couldn&amp;#039;t believe the calculator my son needed cost $150! Sometimes there really aren&amp;#039;t any technical differences from an older model except for some cosmetic changes,&amp;quot; says Pavini. &amp;quot;If it functions the same, ask the teacher if you can get last year&amp;#039;s model since it&amp;#039;ll most likely be cheaper.&amp;quot; Don&amp;#039;t pay a premium for tutoring. If you think your child may need extra help this year, reach out to a local junior college to find a student who&amp;#039;s majoring in the subject your child needs help with. &amp;quot;We found the best algebra tutor for $20 an hour this way,&amp;quot; says Pavini. &amp;quot;My son&amp;#039;s grade in the class improved, and it beat spending over $100 an hour for someone from a big-name tutoring company.&amp;quot; Try consignment shops for sports equipment. And musical instruments, too. &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;m big into resale items for this type of stuff,&amp;quot; says Pavini. &amp;quot;Especially, if your child is testing out a new instrument. Wait to splurge on a new one until you know your kid is really serious about sticking with it.&amp;quot; Buy in bulk. If your school requires uniforms, consider wrangling a group of parents to buy a whole bunch of outfits together. &amp;quot;Some stores or manufacturers will knock off 10 to 20 percent for a big order.&amp;quot; And check back at clothing retailers at the end of September. &amp;quot;Back-to-school sales are starting to die down now, but expect to see good deals return by the end of the month as stores start their pre-winter sales.&amp;quot; "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.redbookmag.com/life/mom-kids/news/a12638/school-supplies-savings/>