UnSplash
You must be already feeling the cool in the air early mornings these days as the summer fleets by. The children and, more likely, us parents eagerly wait for the school year to resume in less than two weeks. That also means parents are prepping up, on the other hand, hunting for back-to-school supplies. Unfortunately, the cost-of-living crisis and impending recession push us to tighten our spending and look for alternatives.
Stay with us to learn the tips some parents shared to ditch the "back-to-school phenomena" and smartly procure supplies for the new school year.
- First and foremost, kids should not be taught that they need new backpacks and lunch bags every year. If the expectation is set out upfront, the children will not ask for new supplies just because it's normal.
- Don't leave back-to-school shopping to the last minute. Look for deals ahead of time in spring/summer months and even get bulk discounts if buying for multiple kids.
- "Purging and organizing drawers and closets before the school starts can be a great way for parents to take note of what items they currently have vs. what items actually need to be purchased. It's also a great way to find items that have gone missing, they have been searching for or didn't know they had," Jill Gillis, Next Rock Organizing's owner shared.
- If your child is in high school, check in with them if they use any of the traditional back-to-school supplies anymore. That way, you can budget for the teacher's needs, maybe just sanitizers and wipes.
- Times have changed even in elementary schools, which are often well-stocked with markers, pencils, crayons, glue, erasers, notebooks, etc. So, your child might not need a pencil case/box for storage unless the teacher places specific requests.
- "I wait until school has already started and buy supplies when they are on clearance. This is when I stock up on supplies for my classroom too, as I am an elementary teacher," Sandra Schmidt Hauck, a local mom, shared.
- Re-use your child's school supplies- maybe a year-old backpack, half-used pencils and old water bottles. That way, you make sustainable choices.
- "Using social groups to ask for/find items for free or greatly discounted are great ways. The proliferation of so many freecycle type sites has been a great way to save money and the environment," Erica McBride, a resident, suggested.
