I'm a former teacher. I only splurge on 2 school supplies.

The author shares her tips for saving money when buying school supplies. Courtesy of the author I used to spend about $100 a year on school supplies for my only child. Becoming a teacher taught me that many supplies can be reused or bought off-brand. I splurge on backpacks and lunchboxes but save on basics like notebooks and markers. Another close mom friend recently sent me a photo of her three children's school supplies ; it was a literal mountain of Amazon boxes. I only have one child and easily spent $100 give or take on school supplies each year — until I started teaching. Once I was on the other end of the school supply list, I realized there were so many ways to save. As a former teacher and now a mom of a middle schooler, I have these top tips for saving money on school supplies.