"Ooooh, back to school, back to school--to prove to dad that I'm not a fool"

The last weeks of summer are quickly disappearing. School is almost here! As a child, I looked forward to going back to school. A new year, new clothes, brand new (still sharp) crayons & that Barbie lunch box I just had to have. Looking back, I robbed my parents blind. Although my school supply list said "crayons", I neglected to tell Mom & Dad that I still had the box from last year. The crayons inside were all different sizes and weren't sharp anymore--I just wanted new stuff. School shopping doesn't have to be like that. Here is a list of budget friendly tips for back to school shopping!

1. Take Inventory. Rummage through last year's supplies. If your child says they don't know where their last year's trapper keeper is, they are lying. I always hid my old ones, ha! After gathering all of last year's school supplies, you should have a pretty good idea of what you do and don't need to buy at the store.

2. Hold a swap meet. If your now 7th grader has out-grown the perfectly good Transformers lunch box, call in the friends, family and neighbors and have a swap party. Bring gently used clothes, shoes, back packs, & school supplies. This is also a good way to keep the clutter levels down. One man's garbage is another man's brand new lunch box. 

3. Keep your budget in mind. Don't get all crazy at the store. "Oh! Little Johnny would LOVE this pencil sharpener that flashes when you use it!" Chances are it is double the price of a regular pencil sharpener and anything that flashes is never a good idea in a classroom. 


4. Separate wants from needs. This includes setting your child's expectations. 


5. Make a list. Don't head into Target blind. You'll end up with too many red pens, glue sticks and lined paper.



I am torn about when to go school shopping...Some say to do it all through the summer and find the good deals. Others tell you to wait. In my house, we always waited for the teacher's list. That means we'd have to wait until school actually started before we could stock up on our new supplies. This tactic seemed to work for my mom. 


During all the back to school adventures, make sure you get your child involved! Invite them to the swap meet to sort through new clothes. Have them help you take inventory, set a budget and set expectations. Soon it has become memorable family time. 


After finally gathering all of the necessities (plus some) for back to school, get on over to FatCats to relieve some stress! Our Kids Bowl Free program goes until the last day of  August. If you haven't taken advantage of this yet, it's not too late! (click here)