Back to school and crazy long school supply lists have hit
our inboxes. Here are some tips I’ve learned over the years:
1. Buy the basic version and stock up!
The notebook on sale for $0.50? The pack of glue sticks for
$0.10? Grab a handful and toss into your cart. If you’re picky about certain
things, splurge (but then don’t complain about the price). Personally I’m a pencil snob – Ticonderoga
for me please. For example, I buy the
cheapest folders for $0.05 each then replace them 2 or 3 times a year and I’ve
still spent less than $1.00 on folders.
The pretty, shiny ones are $1.99 and still end up pulling apart
mid-year. Surveying ads from several big
box stores, I find pencils, pens, erasers, crayons, note books, composition
books, index cards, glue sticks, pencil boxes and folders all at super low
prices. So my kid doesn’t have fancy desk supplies – they can learn to make do.
2. Review the list for items you have at home
I already have a calculator and rolls of tape. We saved several notebooks from last year
that only had a few pages used. Put a
white address label over the “SPELLING” label on the front and it’s good to go
for a new year where it can become “MATH” now. This year my daughter really
thought I was going to buy her new earbuds for school, hah! I have a basket of
those at home. She showed me one with a
bit of earwax in it – I showed her where we keep the q-tips and toothpicks so
she could clean them.
3. When on clearance, buy more!
Although I hate to grab clearance items just because the
price is so low, stationary items will come in handy. I have several notebooks with cool, fancy
covers, some even are that “M” brand (!) and since I picked them up on
clearance they are waiting for this year.
See, my kids do get some of the fancy stuff!
There will be a big clearance a few weeks after school has
begun. After that just scan those
Clearance endcaps occasionally and don’t pass up the school supplies just
because you have enough for this year.
4. Give-a, Get-a
If you do find that you’ve accumulated 20 glue sticks, send
some extra in for the teacher to distribute to kids who may have forgotten (I’m
begin NICE) to get theirs. Teachers will
also take extra craft supplies off your hands happily! I was a major scrapbooker for years, and
after a long hiatus, I wanted new supplies.
My daughter’s 4th Grade teacher was thrilled with all my
papers and stickers that her students could use.
Conversely, everything is not required. I do not use hand
sanitizer (I speak with the teacher every year and give permission for my
special snowflake to use soap & water in the classroom sink to wash her
hands), so I don’t send any in. I think
it’s bad for the environment and for our health. I’ll send in extra tissues though!
When they throw something weird at you, don’t sweat it. I recall searching high & low for “2nd
Grade Composition book” and “3 Subject Notebook with Pocket dividers.” The first I found, the second, I sent in a 5
subject with pockets and called it a day.
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