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.

Not every supply needs to be brand new A common misconception among parents is that every school item needs to be brand new.

The author recycles a lot of things from one school year to the next.

Courtesy of the author I've recycled my son's headphones for three school years now.

They're still in good condition, and they weren't lost because I labeled them with his first and last name.

That way, when he inevitably leaves them behind in a class, they get returned to him.

His calculator is another item that's labeled and reused year to year.