Common Cents: 10 Sanity & Money Saving Tips To Survive Back-To-School Shopping
School is not the only place where children learn. Parents and children can learn a lot about life and each other by tackling the back-to-school preparation process together. Whether you start preparing for back-to-school on early or a few days before the first bell rings, these tips will help you keep you all smiling from start to finish.
Clear The Way
Try to have each child’s room purged of outgrown items and re-arranged to suit their new grade prior to the start of school. Work on this with your child to help start mentally transitioning into back-to-school mode. Pay special attention to etting up a homework station where each child can spread out with homework supplies within reach.
Measure Each Child
Don’t do a bunch of shopping before you realize how much your kids have grown. Get your tape measure out and check heights and assess chest, waist and hip sizes. Once you get to the shoe store, compare shoe sizes to last year. Don’t forget that a pair of feet can be two different sizes. This will also save you time in dressing rooms and help you choose clothes and shoes in appropriate sizes in the first place. Children are often proud of growing but changing sizes can sometimes be unwelcome news for them to discover in the dressing room. Prepare to be a tactful and encouraging presence while trying things on, if you want to avoid upsets, especially during the middle school years.
Shop At Home First
Hand-me-downs may be disappointing to kids, but some items survive the use of older children and are still in good shape for sisters and brothers the next year. Items younger kids may not object to include notebooks, binders, pens, paper, notecards, etc. Collect all the useable school supplies at the end of each school year and keep them in a bin until the new school year starts. If you have a flexible younger sibling, a lightly used backpack or lunch bag may even be acceptable. But when younger siblings desire items that express their own identify, don’t force them to inherit. Donate old supplies instead and start over.
Delay Clothes Shopping For Back-To-School
Surely each of your children will need a few new things before school starts, but the sales won’t begin in earnest until after the first day of school. There is plenty of money to be saved if you can wait to purchase larger items later in the shopping season. Besides, fall fashions are usually for cooler temps that are still several weeks or even months away. This is also a good opportunity to check out how fashions fare at your children’s respective schools before you finish shopping. For example, middle school students may no longer wish to shop at a store that was perfectly popular during elementary school. If you do shop early, save receipts and keep tags on clothing until after the first day of school, just in case your child has a change of heart.
Create Homework Storage for Back-To-School
Setting up a storage system for graded work and art can keep items tidy for each student throughout the year and make sorting papers easier at the end of the year. Middle school students and older can learn how to use an accordian file to store their completed schoolwork. If students are too young for filing papers by class or subject, set aside a plastic bin for each child to toss all schoolwork that has been returned by the teacher. Then at the end of the year, you can sit down with each child and sift through what to save and what to toss. Only save items your child is most proud of that show academic and imaginative development. And don’t save every scrap of paper and artwork in the long run. Display oversize artwork for the summer, then take photos and dispose of it before the new school year begins.
Update The Memory Binder
Use one 2-inch binder for each child to hold their academic certificates of accomplishment, awards, team photos, participation letters, etc. Keep extra sheet protectors at the ready inside. Store these somewhere where each child can access theirs and when something new is to be added to the binder, let them add it. This gives them a moment to look back over what they have accomplished and reflect on their successes. If you keep this folder updated from Kindergarten through senior year, it will serve as a tangible reminder of their high points, which can boost confidence. Finally, when it’s time to apply for colleges or other merit-based programs, the contents of the binder can be put to practical use and may even inspire essay ideas. We use a nice leather binder to make this binder more special than other organizational binders.
Water Bottle Sense
Many schools either require or suggest that students carry their own water bottles. This is a great habit for children and one that will serve them the rest of their lives. In addition to keeping bodies and minds hydrated, water bottle carrying can discourage the consumption of sugary beverages. However, when it comes to keeping track of water bottles, consider the ages and levels of responsibilities of each child. In eighth grade, my daughter’s water bottle has made it through the entire year for the very first time. Buying a young child an expensive water bottle may not be a good use of your money. Also important: look for water bottles that won’t leak. As children get older, bottles will stick around longer and then you can justify spending a bit more.
Become A Joiner
Chances are good your school sells clothing and items in school colors with school mascots emblazoned on them. Collecting some branded materials may make your child feel more like part of the school. This can be especially important when starting a new school. However, follow the same rule as clothing shopping and don’t purchase school wear until classes start. Kids don’t want just any old t-shirt, they want the schoolwear that works best for them whatever that means to them. Perhaps offer to spend a certain amount on school items to be spread out among t-shirts, gym clothes, lanyards, water bottles, etc. throughout the year. Don’t forget, while budgeting, school groups and teams usually encourage the purchase of such items to boost camaraderie.
Choose Your Battles
We often toss this expression around as parents, and back-to-school is a good time to put it to use. With my daughter, our biggest debate is typically about brand names. Once she sees the proof that other kids are wearing expensive name brands, she wants them, too. But this is where I draw the line. We don’t sacrifice our budget for slick marketing campaigns. I explain to my daughter that she may look for the over-priced items at gently used stores but she may not spend even her own money on a $50 t-shirt or a $100 pair of jeans. I can’t reconcile these prices with our family’s values. Besides, this is a real-life opportunity for us to discuss how marketing and advertising influence consumer spending. Your back-to-school battles may be different, but go ahead and choose them, and use them as springboards for raising your child’s awareness on topics that matter to your family.
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Back-To-School Items That Express Identity
Back-to-school time is an opportunity to let each child express individual identity through the items they select for school. Parents, shopping for these items with a practical eye, may be surprised by how much they mean to students. So here’s a head’s up on the back-to-school items that usually matter most to kids. Since you are likely spending the money anyway, why not let them choose their own colors and designs? Don’t rush them to choose as they strive to make a good first impression. Whatever items make them feel comfortable and relaxed, within reason, is the path to peaceful agreement.
- Backpack
- Lunch Box
- Sneakers
- Shoes
- Boots
- Workout Clothes
- Underwear
- T-shirts
- Water Bottle
- Jackets
- Phone Case
- Purse
- Hats
