Is It Too Early For Back To School Shopping?

The kids don’t want to hear it, but there’s no denying the fact that it is time for some back-to-school shopping.  New classes equals new supply lists, new backpacks, notebooks, pencils and all that stuff and it can definitely take a toll on the old bank account, am I right?

A sure sign that summer is coming to an end is when you start seeing the back-to-school sales at local merchants.  Wal-Mart and Staples are always in stiff competition with each other.  Last year, I actually think I got some money back from my purchases.  Just kidding, I’m not THAT thrifty.

No doubt t it gets expensive quickly, but have you considered shopping in this unlikely spot…your home?  Maybe these are some things that got crammed into an old backpack…pencils, pens, calculators. Or maybe they were tossed into a closet on the last day of school and were simply forgotten about.  I probably did that when I was a kid.  There were far more important things to be thinking about on the last day of school, than taking inventory on leftover school supplies.

It’s not just the supplies, but the clothing as well.  Watch for sales in your area and don’t be too proud to keep an eye on garage sales either.  I’ve actually come up with some brand new stuff still with tags on them.  If you can’t find garage sales in Central New York, you obviously are not looking in the right place.

And don't buy fall and winter clothes just yet. It will be some time before the weather turns cooler so purchase summer items that are on sale.  Your children will likely be able to wear these in the Spring as well.  Unless of course, they go through some crazy growth spurt.

All the stores are bringing out their fall collections and summer items are very discounted

And you can't beat free. Think of having a mom swap where you trade and barter with other parents.

Share what you're not using with what they're not using.

Those school supply lists seem to get longer every year, it wouldn’t hurt to email your child’s teacher to find out what they absolutely have to have for the school year.  Have fun and try not to get too frustrated while you are out there doing your shopping!