Stock up on school supplies while they are cheap
Purchase extra crayons, pens, glue sticks, pencils, paper, and other supplies that need to be restocked/replaced throughout the year.
Organize the supplies
Assign an area (drawer, container, or cabinet) to store the extra supplies. Make it easy for the kids to get what they need.
I prefer to use a spare drawer (pictured) so everything is easily visible. Drawer dividers are great for keeping like items together.
In my house, three-ring binders seem to fall apart halfway through the year, and there is a significant price difference after the back-to-school sales are over. Since I use them for my business, too, I like to keep a good stock of them. The cost of a pack of crayons can jump from $.50 to over $2 when they return to normal price.
We literally have a giant plastic tub that we load with everything from packs of paper to binders and pencils. And every year we end up with a few crayons in the bottom and nothing else. Goes to show how easily they go through supplies when you think you’ve got it covered.
i learned the hard way when the kids were in elementary school that teachers want you to send in all new supplies once a quarter. Suddenly everything is at least twice as expensive. I used to keep it all in a tub, too. Luckily I cleared out a drawer because it is easier to find things. It is just crazy how many supplies they go through in a year.
I don’t have this problem because I have no children but this year my wife and I did buy school supplies for all the neighborhood parents. They were shocked. If I had seen your post earlier, I would have stocked up and done the same thing next year. Thanks.
How sweet! I’m sure you were a hero for that. It can really break the budget. I didn’t notice the cost so much with my first child…but wow multiply it times three kids now and the savings can really add up.
Hi Melinda,
Thanks for sharing! Even though my daughter isn’t in school yet, these are great pointers. I won’t forget them! 🙂
Take care,
Evelyn
Great article post really. Its really best way to supply cheap quality enrich products to schools.
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