Preparing for back to school

Back to school time is well upon us. I have used my own tips and tips of other moms on preparing for back to school.

1. Start buying supplies early. Take advantage of sales. Most times pens, pencils, folders and such will always be needed so if you can, then stock up. As soon as lists are available, take advantage of that. you can buy a little at a time instead of rushing at the end.

2. Buy clothes early. So many use back to school as an excuse to get new clothes. I just usually buy 2 new outfits per child, underwear, socks, and shoes. I then start preparing to get new fall clothes if needed. I try to shop thrift or used clothes for these. I like to buy in bulk and not just a single or few outfits if possible. If you can take advantage of end of season sales and shop the next size up for next season.

3. If the schools offer it and you can, take advantage of the box program. Many schools are now starting to offer supply kits that you just pay and the whole supply kit is delivered to the school. We did that this year and it is so nice. We went open house night and their kits were there on their desks waiting on them. We didn't have to run to stores and get into big messes. 

4. If you can, take advantage of the dollar store. If you are on a tight budget and don't mind using off brand things use the dollar store. You can get crayons, scissors, pencils, erasers and so much more without spending a ton of money.

5. If you have multiple kids to shop for, compile one list before going to make it easier on yourself. One kid needs 3 boxes of crayons while another needs 2 boxes and a third needs 5 boxes. Put all the like items together and find out how many you need instead of just looking list to list at the store. Here is actually a picture another mom shared on how she does it She makes a line for each kid that way she knows the total of each items but also who gets what:


6. If your child packs lunch, do premade lunches that they can choose from or make them the night before. Make sandwiches of different types, "homemade lunchables" have snacks and fruit and such available to quickly make a lunch.