Tips and Strategies for School Supplies Shopping – Part One: Elementary – High School
It’s the best time of the year. At least, that’s how I’ve always felt about it. Crisp, fresh notebooks, new pens, fancy highlighters – new school supplies have, year after year, signified for me a new beginning. Another chance to get organized, get productive, and get smart. That said, now that I’ve gotten to see the other side of school supplies shopping – the lines, the parking lot fiasco, the bill – I realize the process could benefit from some streamlining, and emptying one’s wallet is not the best way to start fresh. Here are the tips I’ve found to lighten your load:
Start Early: The worst way to shop for school supplies is the day before the first bell. The lines are too long and all the Frozen backpacks are out of stock by then. So your best strategy is to start now. Most schools give out a list each year with what the student needs – this is the best place to start, as it’ll keep you from buying anything that won’t be needed or will be provided by the school. As soon as you get the list, start sifting through the items to see what you might already have, or what you might be able to get cheaper online. Which brings me to:
Prioritize & Categorize: Some supply items are pretty basic, and don’t need to be personalized, such as loose leaf paper, glue sticks, markers, etc. Dollar Tree has a school supplies section on their website with heavily discounted versions of these products, Amazon does as well (and if you have a Prime membership you can get free shipping!). Amazon also has other ways for you to save like trading in old calculators and other supplies.
For personalized items – like backpacks, binders and planners – online shopping is still a good option, especially if you know your child is going to want that particular Ninja Turtles backpack which is probably more expensive in the store. It’s also worth researching the kind of items your child will be using for multiple years. For some things, it’s better to go for quality over low cost. This site for working moms lays out what to look for in a quality backpack. Along those lines….
Preserve, and Be Practical: Thinking long term early on will help you save for years. If you’re able to convince your child (I know this is hard) encourage them to choose items that they’ll want to use for more than a year. Think solid colors, or just things that aren’t based on the most recent popular comic book movie. Most large binders/organizers will last for years if you treat them properly. I shudder to think of how many perfectly good school supplies I ruined in elementary and middle school by tossing them carelessly into my locker or crushing them inside my backpack.
Additionally – don’t forget about the teachers. In my search for ways to improve the school shopping process, I found a few tips from the teacher’ perspective. The main two being: Focus more on useful than fancy, and if you buy in bulk, send things in a few at a time. For example: If you got a 24 pack of pencils, send your child in with 3 to make it easier to stay organized. Your teachers would also appreciate it if you avoid items that light up or make noise as this is distracting (to both students and teachers!)
Lastly – if you have trouble affording school supplies, make sure to check with your local non-profit agencies like the Salvation Army and United Way to see if they have a supplies drive – I know we have one locally which has gives free supplies to over 1000 local children in need each year. If you are able to afford the supplies you need, please consider donating to a drive – the joy of new supplies and the joy of learning should never be denied to a child.
PS: For a complete listing of 2015 State Sales Tax Holidays visit here.
Author: Emily Smalter Emily is currently enrolled in a Master's of Social Work program at Kansas University. Outside of her schoolwork, Emily advocates for women to have a stronger voice in both the public and private realm, and spends her spare hours writing on how to make the seemingly smaller tasks in our lives more manageable.