Hi Guys.
Summer is almost coming to an end and fall is silently creeping in. You know what that mean, our kids are going to leave us alone and bother someone else. Yep they are going back to school and even though I am going to seriously miss my little angel I am one happy momma.
Before she goes to school we have to go back to school shopping! The horror in many of us because it can be stressful and irritating if you are shopping with your child. Back to school shopping sounds like fun but it can definitely drive any sane mother INSANE.
But I have your backs mommies, daddies, and anyone else who is doing the shopping. I have some pretty simple yet effective tips for all of us to go back to school shopping.
Please relax and check out my tips….
- MAKE A LIST.
You want to make sure you make a list of all the school supplies you are going to buy. If you already have a list made by the school or teacher that is even better, because you already know what to buy. Making a list is very effective in releasing some stress out of your system because you just need to get to the store and buy from your list. You won’t be running around like some crazy maniac who is lost and need some school supplies guidance.
- CHOOSE BETWEEN THE “NEEDS” AND “WANTS“.
You need to choose between what you need or in this case what your children needs and wants for school. Make sure everything from the teacher or school supply list is taken care of first. For example, let’s say your child needs pencils than you buy the regular number 2 pencils but your child wants the new “cool” color pencils that cost more. What are you going to buy? Your child NEEDS pencils he/she WANTS the “cool” ones, so you simply buy the regular pencils because it cost less and it is still effective. Plus you will be saving even if is cents. Do not confuse the two because than you are going to spend more money than you need too and want too!
- COUPONS AND SALES.
Always and always check for any stores that has coupons or stores that have sales. Of course the obvious reason for this is to save MONEY. There are a lot of stores out there that promote their back to school sales, so why not take advantage of this and shop for all the back to school essentials. Whether is clothing, book bags, shoes and school supplies coupons and sales are not bad at all, there are in fact our FRIENDS. Also do not feel embarrassed if you have coupons and people are waiting after you in the check out line, just smile and watch you save!
- SET A BUDGET.
We all need to set a budget before we go out shopping. This is a must, because this way you will feel guilty about even spending one more dime that will exceed your budget. When you tell yourself ” I am only going to spend this amount” than you are giving yourself a test and you must pass that test. The test of course is not to go over budget on things that are not necessary. Be aware that when you set a budget you must be realistic, you can’t say ” I am only spending $50″ when you need to buy school clothes, shoes, supplies, lunch boxes etc. make sure your budget is reasonable and you stick with it, you will feel so much better and less guilty at the end of the day.
- SHOP AHEAD OF TIME.
When you shop ahead of time again you do not have the stress of last-minute shopping. Also sales are usually about 1 month or so before school starts, so you need to get on that people. When you shop ahead of time you will find what your child needs for school and you won’t be pushing other mother’s out-of-the-way because there is only one notebook and you must get it. Always remember that when we do things on time it makes us feel good and we have a sense of peace within us because we finish a task before it was due. You can definitely go over your list and see what you missed from there and if the clothes you bought for your child does not fit you can simply return it. Other wise it will be chaos in the return section of any store days before school starts. So shop ahead of time and spend the days left before school playing with your child or in a mini get away with your family at ease knowing that all the back to school shopping is already taken care of.
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