Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin
Episode: 5 New Tips for Back to School Shopping
Date: August 19, 2025
Episode Overview
In this back-to-school special, host Nicole Lapin, celebrated for her accessible financial guidance, provides five unique and actionable money-saving tips for back-to-school shopping. Eschewing stale coupon-clipping advice, Nicole delivers unexpected hacks, from leveraging warehouse club deals without a membership to using credit card benefits and online shopping psychology. The tips are designed to empower parents and anyone embarking on back-to-school shopping to keep more money in their wallets—without sacrificing on essentials.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Shop at Costco Without a Membership
[03:42]
- Hack: Use a Costco Shop Card (their gift card), loaded by a member friend, to access member prices as a non-member.
- Bonus Find: Grab discounted third-party gift cards (e.g., Nike, Old Navy, popular restaurants) typically offered at 10–25% below face value.
- Pro Tip: Policies vary by location and not all staff may know this trick—Nicole advises “hit them with the fine print” from the Costco website if needed.
- Alternatives: Try Sam’s Club, similar programs, or bulk shop via Instacart.
“You do not have to be a member to buy some of the best back to school staples at warehouse prices. Ask a friend with a membership to load a Costco shop card…this is a pretty secret hack.”
—Nicole [04:01]
2. Use Credit Card Price Protection Like a Pro
[06:07]
- Premise: Some credit cards offer price protection—if something you buy drops in price soon after, you can claim the refund of the difference.
- How-To:
- Search “[Your Card Name] Guide to Benefits” PDF for “price protection,” “price guarantee,” “price rewind,” “purchase security,” or “assurance.”
- Note eligibility windows (30, 60, or 120 days), maximum claim limits, and eligible retailers.
- Must pay the full amount with the card; partial payments might void coverage.
- Claims often aren’t automatic—submit the original receipt, transaction screenshot, and lower price proof via the card's benefits portal or claims administrator.
- Fine Print: Not all purchases or retailers qualify (auction sites/marketplaces often excluded).
- Pro Tip: Set reminders to follow up before benefit windows close.
“Back to school shopping can be kind of like buying a stock. You don’t know when the lowest low price is going to hit.”
—Nicole [06:25]
3. Take Advantage of State Sales Tax Holidays
[08:55]
- Strategy: Many states waive sales tax for certain school supplies during “tax-free holidays”—sometimes as much as a 6% discount.
- Action: Google your state’s program, pay attention to the exact dates and covered items.
- Example: Florida has two tax-free periods; Connecticut’s tax holiday doesn’t cover school supplies, just clothing.
- Caveat: Every state’s rules and included items differ.
“Most states have a sales tax holiday right before school starts…this year, eighteen states offer discounted and tax free back to school shopping holidays.”
—Nicole [09:06]
4. Use “Reserve Now, Pay Later”—Don’t Rush Checkout
[10:48]
- Technique: Add items to your online cart, log in, but don't immediately check out.
- Why: Many retailers use cart abandonment reminders, often emailing you within 72 hours with a discount code to close the sale (Nicole reports seeing 15% off from some stores).
- How-to: Build your cart and simply walk away. Wait for the “We miss you” email before purchasing.
“Instead of checking out immediately, log in, build your cart and walk away. So often, retailers will email you back within 72 hours…Here’s 15% if you do!”
—Nicole [10:55]
5. Set a Google Alert for Must-Have Items
[12:00]
- Concept: For specific, big-ticket or hard-to-find items (think: graphing calculators, the “it” backpack), set up a “Google Alert” combining the product name and “sale.”
- Result: Get notified immediately when your desired item goes on sale—no daily “doom scrolling” necessary.
“Set a Google Alert with the product name + sale. This is sort of like the equivalent of setting a price alert for a trip on Google flights, but for specific things on your shopping list.”
—Nicole [12:07]
Industry Insights & Memorable Moments
- Average Family Spending:
Families are predicted to spend $890 on back-to-school shopping in 2025, up from $864 the year prior. [13:00]
“Families with school aged kids are expected to spend an average of $890 this year, according to the National Retail Federation. That’s up from $864 last year. And tariffs are not helping.”
—Nicole [13:10]
- Nicole's Personal Touch:
She jokes about her own daughter (8 months old) being a "genius" possibly ready for school, making the content relatable for parents. [02:40]
Bonus Tip: Price Protection Fine Print
[14:15]
- Extra Nugget: For price protection claims, “identical” means just that—color, size, and bundles must match exactly for the claim to go through.
- Watch for: Some policies compare pre-tax and pre-shipping prices, so double-check the terms.
“If the item you bought isn’t identical to the one on sale, you probably won’t get that sweet refund.”
—Nicole [14:20]
Notable Quotes
- “You do not come to Money Rehab for crusty old tips. You come to Money Rehab for fresh advice that you can’t find anywhere else.” —Nicole [02:55]
- “Don’t waste time doom scrolling for deals—let the alerts come to you.” —Nicole [12:13]
- “Back to school shopping is a business and you are the target market and the industry is huge.” —Nicole [13:00]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Episode Theme & Nicole’s Back-to-School Excitement: [02:25–03:25]
- Tip #1: Costco Without Membership: [03:42–06:07]
- Tip #2: Credit Card Price Protection: [06:07–08:55]
- Tip #3: Sales Tax Holidays: [08:55–10:48]
- Tip #4: Reserve Now, Pay Later: [10:48–12:00]
- Tip #5: Google Alerts: [12:00–13:00]
- Industry Stats & Wrap-up: [13:00–14:15]
- Bonus Tip on Price Protection Fine Print: [14:15–end]
In Summary
Nicole Lapin provides a snappy, practical rundown of ways to get ahead this back-to-school season—eschewing tired advice in favor of little-known tricks that can seriously move the needle for families. From warehouse club hacks to leveraging your credit card’s hidden perks, this episode is packed with actionable, non-obvious strategies delivered with Nicole’s signature wit and approachability.
For three bonus tips, Nicole refers listeners to her newsletter—encouraging further engagement for the savviest shoppers.