OMG It's Been Forever & A Day Since I've Posted! New Ideas For Saving On Back To School And Your Sanity!
First let me just apologize for not posting since forever. To make a long story short, I had a horrible flare-up of my autoimmune, a separation and divorce, and a major move. But, it's starting to even out and I'm trying to get back on the horse. The timing couldn't be better because up here in Wisconsin, the kids go back to school in September and I am counting the days!
10 years ago when my oldest son started school and I was a work-at-home mom for my then 18 month old, I thought it best that the kids have all brand new clothes for school, it was an easy schedule to balance and really, my sanity was all intact. Then, after two more kids arrived and now all are in school full-time, I've learned that penny-pinching isn't a bad thing and schedules are nothing to be afraid of!
So how do you save money when kids require so much for the start of a new school year? Well, let's talk about clothes. They always need clothes to start the new year with, but do they have to be new?? I learned that no - especially with younger kids, you can get away with thrift shops, hand-me-downs and swap-shops to give your kids a fashionable but affordable back-to-school wardrobe. For me that comes easy since I have all boys and they can hand down clothes. I also shop thrift stores like Savers (my fav!) and consignment shops because you can get some great deals on brand-name and designer labels, and the younger kids don't know the difference. I pick up jeans, shirts, jackets and I also start stocking up on winter-gear little by little so that when the first snowflakes fly I'm prepared.
Now, for older kids, you can't always get away with that. I'm lucky, my oldest is now 15 and the latest styles up here send him and his friends running to thrift shops to get that "vintage" look anyway. Also, this time of year a lot of stores like Pac Sun, Hot Topic, Finish Line, Famous Footwear, Zumiez, the Buckle and other great shops run Buy One Get One 1/2 Off on jeans, shirts, shoes, accessories and more. So for the older crowd, you can save a lot of money.
For shoes, my younger boys are perfectly happy with Payless Shoes and they also run BOGO for back to school. Our schools require two pairs (indoor and outdoor) so it works out really well. And, if there's an odd shoe out, I'll splurge and get a pair 1/2 off if one of the boys can't find something they like :-)
Swap-shops like Thred-Up are also great, because you can get a whole box of what you need while clearing out what you don't need. I also trade with friends and neighbors. Like I said, when their young, they don't have to have everything new - they just know that they like the color or the design or whatever. You would be surprised at some of the great-looking tops I've bought my boys and they still won't part with them from last year! We also recycle anything that can be re-used from the previous school year like hats, belts, sweats, jackets. I get into the habit of buying clearance in larger sizes for the next year, too. If you have the room, buy up clearance, bin it up and store it to save money next year!
So, then, what about school supplies? They make a huge dent in our budget. We do recycle what we can from previous years like backpacks, binders, school boxes and every year I buy extra school supplies at a bargain to try and save a little for the next year. I also buy in bulk since I have 4 boys in school full-time. WalMart will rollback prices on supplies the closer school gets, so I will over buy to have extras on hand for later on in the year. There's also discount stores, dollar stores and the shops where everything is $1 that can save you a lot of money. Discount School Supplies is also a great way to shop for supplies online if you don't feel like getting out and battling crowds for your childs' needs.
Organization - we all make great attempts at it but sometimes no matter what you do you feel like you'll lose your mind keeping track of everything. When my youngest son started school full-time I thought it would be easier on me since no one would be home during the day anymore but boy was I mistaken! It added more events, school functions, plays, sports - you name it! And that's not even counting homework, weekly spelling and all of that. So last year I developed a bin system for the kids. I went to the Dollar Tree and got each of them one of those bins made for filing and put their names on them. When they get home from school - anything that's in the "keep at home" part of their folder went into the bin so that I could see it before it got crammed into their room somewhere. Anything that said "return to school" went onto a clip on my refrigerator so that I could sign notes, mark calendars and such, and also make sure their reading minutes and homework got done.
Then - scheduling - what a nightmare! Keeping track of practices, doctors appointments, plays, class parties, lessons, and so on and so on. I try not to allow my children to get so involved in extracurricular activities that they leave themselves no time to be a kid, but even with just a few between four kids it's a lot to manage! Thank goodness for Google Calendar!! I put everything into my calendar. I even set it up to text me when something needs to be done, kids need to be picked up - anything we do goes into that calendar. Even menus! My ex-husband gets the texts and e-mails, too, so he can keep tabs on things from 2 hours away. I don't know how on Earth I ever survived without Google Calendar!
I also keep a tight scheduling during the week to allow the boys some down-time after school but keep enough structure in it for my ADHD children to have the same routine. They get up at 6:30am to be at the bus stop by 7:30am. Sometimes they eat breakfast at home, sometimes at school. I let them choose. Then they get home about 3:30pm and I allow them 40 minutes to unwind and have an afternoon snack. Then, it's homework time while I fix dinner. I do allow them about 30 minutes of T.V. after homework while I finish up getting their dinner ready. We eat about 6pm, then it's baths, a book and bed. In my house, my boys have to do their chores, homework and reading minutes to earn points that they can spend on T.V., video game or computer time while I'm bathing children and cleaning up from dinner. I do this to limit how much time they spend on T.V. and such before bed. Don't want them too wound up at bed time. My 6 and 8 year old go to bed at 8:30pm, the 12 year old goes down at 9pm and the oldest by 10pm. I found that as long as I stick to this routine everyday, there's less fighting, chaos and insanity in my house. I do keep their bed times on the weekend, too, unless there's something going on where I absolutely have to bend the rule a bit. Now, this year, it may change a little since their Dad moved 2 hours away. The boys will be going to Dad's on the weekends and I just hope he helps me stick to the schedule to make it much easier on all of the children, but especially the two with ADHD (the 6 and 12 yr old).
Anyway - that's just how I run my school year here for the kids. What works for me may not work for everyone, I just found that over the years this seemed to be the best compromise for both me and the kids. And remember what I said about the younger kids not absolutely having to have the brand new clothes. I learned that kids don't really care - they just want to look good. Try some of these sales and see where you can save a buck or two!
Discount School Supply:
Save up to 30% off retail on Crayola®
Shop Clearance Blow Outs and save up to 68% off retail!
BudgetBoosters - Save on Back to School Supplies, now at DiscountSchoolSupply.com! Click Here!
Biblio.com:
Save up to 90% off on new and used textbooks at Biblio.com
Bargain books under $2
thredUP:
Join thredUP's FREE online community to exchange stuff your kids no longer use, for clothing that fits & toys they'll love! thredUP is where families swap kids clothing (and toys!) online.
BetterWorld.com:
Get 3 used books for $10, 4 for $12 and 5 for $15 with the Better World Books Bargain Bin
Fund Literacy, Care for the Environment, and get a Fair Price on the Books you Want.
FergieShoes.com:
Save 15% off sitewide with code FERGIE15 at Fergieshoes.com!
Football Fanatics:
Save an extra 20% on sale items at Fanatics
$4.99 - 3-Day Shipping at FootballFanatics.com
FamousFootwear:
Save an additional 20% sitewide at the FamousFootwear BOGO 1/2 Off Sale, code BTS2011!
Spencer Gifts:
50% Off Messenger Bags & Backpacks!
Buy one Clearance T-Shirt, Get one FREE
Belts & Buckles - Buy One Get One 1/2 Off!
Hot Topic:
Check out all the hottest discounts at HotTopic.com!
$19.99 on Select Converse and Vans at HotTopic.com! While supplies last!
PUMA:
PUMA Online Store - Buy a Pair of Shoes, Get a FREE PUMA Backpack
$19.99 on Select Converse and Vans at HotTopic.com! While supplies last!
Surf Fanatics:
Save 20% on sale merchandise at Surf Fanatics
FREE 3 Day Shipping On Orders Over $50 at SurfFanatics.com
PACSUN:
Extra 30% Off Men's Graphic Tees
Womens Tees and Tanks: Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off
Guys Shorts Starting at $19.99!
Women's Hoodies Starting at $9.99
