Sometimes its better to buy quality over quantity! I have an L.L. Bean backpack I got in High School we still use for the parks. This is a great way to save money over the long haul!
You can read Brandy’s previous posts by clicking here!
When I need to make a purchase, I look into the cost savings over time vs the savings of buying a comparable lower cost item in the moment. Often times if you buy higher ticket quality item it will last you years. If for some reason it doesn’t usually the higher ticket items have an excellent warranty program. Where you can get the same or a similar item at no cost to you. Usually you have to pay shipping to get the product back to the company. Sometimes you will have to pay shipping on the new item as well. Even if you have to pay shipping both ways. That still comes out to a fraction of the cost of purchasing a new item.
I have always purchased my kids well made quality backpacks. Usually Land’s End, Jansport, or Van’s. They get to pick whichever they would like in Pre-K no matter the cost, that one will be used thru 3rd grade, they can pick a new one in 3rd grade, 6th grade, and 9th grade. Often times the backpacks are still in great condition after only 3 years. If that is the case I wash them really well and resell them. Or my kids will use them for longer if they would like. My son has a Toy Story Alien Van’s backpack he got in 3rd grade and my 5 year old wants to use it next year. Which works great for me! Normally I can get around $10-$15 for a used backpack.
If the bag is getting holes in the bottom, the zipper doesn’t work correctly, or some other small warranty issue arises. Then we submit it to the warranty program. Usually the one you originally had isn’t sold anymore and they ask you to pick another. YES, you are reading this correctly basically you get to pick a brand new different design backpack for free.
Usually its around $40.00 per backpack. Since they use it for 3 years that comes out to only $13.33 per year of use. Then if you factor in reselling it for $10.00. That makes it only $10.00 per year of use. If I go buy them a new backpack at Target each school year it would run me at least $15.00 per backpack. Its shocking I know!
Chloe got a new backpack in 6th grade. Here the kids don’t have lockers in middle school or high school. They have to carry everything around in their backpacks. I bought her a huge one with plenty of room she got the Jansport Digital Student Laptop backpack for around $50.00 currently $54.95 on Amazon. It is a great roomy backpack with lots of compartments to store things, and it has great shoulder support. I highly recommend it for older kids or college students. My husband got the exact same one for his use in college!
Towards the end of 8th grade we noticed small holes on the bottom and the zipper wouldn’t work correctly. I got on Jansport’s website printed the warranty paperwork. It gave SKU number options to pick in case hers wasn’t available. You get to pick 3, one of those would be sent to her as the replacement if the original one wasn’t available. We Googled them to see which ones she would like. Filled it out and sent in the backpack. It costs me $12.00 to ship the backpack Priority mail back. Like magic 4 weeks later a new Jansport backpack showed up! I added the savings of $42.95 from our back to school fund into our Disney fund.
5/21 – 6/10
My Swagbucks – $100.00
My husbands SB – $40.00
Found money in the sofa – $5.00
Savings from not having to purchase a new backpack – $42.95
Total to date – $1405.99
Gift cards, and cash balances:
Southwest Gift Card – $358. 27 for a $400.00 balance (Only another $1,400 to go!)
Universal annual pass and 5 day ticket – $341.00 – Already spent!
Cash Remaining in my Disney fund – $706.72
(Thanks, Brandy)
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