The best strategy for back-to-school shopping is to get organised, stock up on the basics and look out for sales and promotions.Start your back-to-school shopping with a good plan. Even if your child's teacher hasn't provided a list of school supplies, you can't go wrong by sticking with the basics and taking advantage of back-to-school sales.
Here's how:
Make a list and get your child involved
Use the recommended supplies from your child's school or teacher as a starting point. If you don't have a list yet, check with parents at your school who have older kids. They might have good advice about what your child will need at her age. Sit down with your child and go over your list together, this is a great way to teach her organisation skills.
Separate wants from needs
Most school supplies don't go out of style, and your child will happily use the unsharpened pencils his older sister didn't use. But, beware the power of trends. Try to avoid getting into arguments with your older child about whether they really need a certain school bag because everyone else has one. Try setting a budget for supplies. This will help your child to set priorities, learn how to manage money, and start saving his allowance for the items your budget won’t allow.
You'll also be doing your child's teacher a favour if you stick to supplies without gimmicks. Pens that light up are a source of distraction in the classroom.
Take inventory.
Sort through last year's supplies to see what can be reused. Resolve to set up a place to keep your school supplies together over the summer.
Start early and look for items on sale throughout the summer.
The best bargains are often available at back-to-school sales. Keep your supply list with you so if you spot a bargain you can cross it off your list.
Buy basics in bulk.
You know that paper, pencils, glue sticks and notebooks will always be needed. Euro shops, grocery stores and online shops are wonderful sources for buying these items in bulk.
Use a storage container so you can dip into it all year long. Set up this storage area near your child’s homework area so he will have what he needs nearby.
Get your kids into the recycling habit.
Environmentally friendly living is such a popular topic at the moment so it’s easy to convince children that reusing an item is far better than buying a new one.
Keep an eye out for promotions.
Some discount office supply stores offer free shipping on online orders and watch for sales on essential items.
Figure out when quality counts.
Schoolbags with a warranty might be a good investment, even if it costs more when buying items like crayons, colouring pencils, markers and water colour paints, name brands definitely seem to last longer.
However, when it comes to calculators, many math teachers advise parents not to buy one with more functions than your child needs. For younger children a basic calculator is perfect.
