Summer Tips for Back to School

Its late July and while I love sharing Summer tips,Back to School Season has totally arrived. Clothing stores saw the beginning of back to school product placement as early as the end of June and just last week office supply store weekly penny and quarter school supply sales began. While many of us may just be settling into our 2nd month of summer, plenty of Moms are already shopping and adjusting schedules to have their kids ready for school in early August. For me, we are at the midway point and now is when I get things going even if my kids have no idea I’m on the move. Here are my best summer tips for getting ready for back to school in my organized July:

Set Your Budget: Create a document or use an online budget tool to help you map your needs with your finances so you stay on track. Use last year’s expenses as a guideline, making sure to include supplies, clothing, and the numerous fees back to school includes such as PTA memberships, spirit wear, club memberships, and more.

Don’t Buy Fall Clothes: For most of us the weather on the first day of school is still Summer seasonal and therefore you can often delay purchasing Fall clothes until the 4th week of September…which is when Fall actually begins…and is also about the time the new fall collections begin to really go on sale. I’m all for starting the year with a few pairs of new shoes and a special outfit or two, but I’m also determined not to spend more than I need to when it comes to kids clothes.

Shop Penny and Quarter Sales: Every weekend you’ll find office supply stores offering a few products for just a penny or a quarter. Most often these are generic items every student will need, like notebook paper, rulers, folders, glue, and more. Make it a point to purchase these items as they come up even without your classroom supply list. I guarantee you it will be something you will need. Also keep an eye out for deep discounts on tissues, hand sanitizer, baby wipes, sanitizing wipes, zip lock bags, and dry erase markers. These are items I see increasingly on teacher’s wish lists and we all know they spend far more of their own funds purchasing items than they should.

Pay it Forward: Encourage your children to give as they grow by making a Penny Pay It Forward back to school tradition. Have each child use their allowance weekly to purchase enough penny and quarter items to fill a recyclable shopping bag. Then donate this bag to your school office for them to distribute as needed. It will teach them that as you prepare them for school, taking care of their needs, they can be part of making their school fully equipped no matter what budget challenges each principal may face.

I never met a back to school season I didn’t like. Even as a child, I loved the excitement of new school supplies, a few new outfits, and the chance to be with friends new and old. As a Mom, I find this truly is my busiest time of year so it’s critical I give myself the best edge I can and starting early with the basics is the best way I know how. Tell me…

Thanks so much for stopping by ~ we’ll see you next time!

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