If you listen closely, you can almost hear the sound of chalk on the blackboard as a teacher dressed in a long denim skirt and a crisp button-up shirt prepares her lesson plan. Children, barely halfway through summer, are already starting to see sale papers and flyers advertising new back-to-school supplies and fashionable fall clothes—long before the end of summer is even relevant. And in just a few weeks, the list of required school supplies will be plastered in the storefronts of your local stores, alongside big sales, coupons, and crowds of people trying to find crayons for a quarter. It’s that time again, and the thrill of getting a new set of pencils, some blank paper, and a fresh art box is often the first step in getting children excited about school!
For parents, this can be a mixed experience. While crayons and portable pencil sharpeners are cheap, adding up the items needed to stock a classroom can cause your bank account to start shaking in fear. Back-to-school supplies are expensive, and no matter which sale you shop, you can easily drop $100 or more on paper towels, hand sanitizers, and other classroom necessities. Even more frustrating is that while you would be caught dead not bringing the required supplies, some families simply don’t, which means you and others like you are left footing the bill for the extra items. With education cuts this year, the required school supplies may end up costing more than ever before.
There’s not much you can do about it. Your children need the tools to succeed. Still, there are a few money-saving tips that can help ensure you get the most for your dollar. What many schools do is stock up at the beginning of the year. For example, your child may be required to bring 24 pencils that get pooled together in the classroom. That way, your child and the other students can use a pencil when they need it. However, if you don’t want to provide supplies for other kids, then buy only the items required for your child and keep extras at home. If you feel comfortable, you can send a note to the teacher explaining your decision. Additionally, buying 250 rolls of paper towels on the first day of school may lead to storage problems for the teacher. If you want to contribute supplies but need to do so in installments, let the teacher know that you’ll provide more items in a few months to replenish supplies.
Tips for Smart Shopping and Managing School Supplies
When purchasing new back-to-school supplies for your child, make sure to mark everything with their name using a black Sharpie marker. Label the blades of scissors, the boxes of crayons, the art boxes, folders, and spiral notebooks. This way, even if items are thrown into a pile, you’ll be sure your child gets the supplies you bought. It can be upsetting to purchase special items for your child, only to have them handed out anonymously. On the flip side, don’t go overboard with your purchases. Stick to exactly what’s requested. Otherwise, you might find that the items are sent back home, and your child could attract unnecessary attention at school. This is definitely not the way to make a good impression on your child’s teacher, who would prefer as little distraction as possible. After all, that glowing, light-up binder will definitely be a distraction on movie day!
Back-to-school supplies don’t have to be expensive. If you shop at dollar stores or during back-to-school sales, you can find many common items at deep discounts. Also, while your child may want a new, fashionable backpack every year, if the one they already have works just fine, don’t bother. At some point, that Kavu-brand backpack will end up tossed in the corner of a classroom with a leaking marker stain on the side. The same goes for a lunchbox. As time passes, you can replace these items when they really need it, saving you money in the long run. If you’re a single parent or facing financial difficulty, check with your local library or community agencies for assistance. Also, if your budget is limited, be upfront with the teacher and ask which supplies are the most essential. Many parents become frustrated by the fact that a large portion of the required items are never actually used.
Another tip is to wait until school starts to buy your child’s school supplies. You’re probably thinking, “Sending my child to school with nothing is absurd!” But it’s actually quite common for generic lists to be posted on school websites, only for the individual teachers to request completely different items once the school year begins. If you wait, your child will likely come home with a more accurate and specific list from their homeroom teacher. It’s perfectly fine to go ahead and buy the obvious items like pencils, paper, and—today—perhaps a flash drive. But holding off on some of the other items might save you money and hassle.
One thing to remember is that back-to-school supplies are like giving a painter a blank canvas and new brushes. No matter what happened last year, or what’s to come, the new supplies symbolize a fresh start. There are probably many things that make your child anxious about school—whether it’s making new friends or wondering who their teacher will be. But with new school supplies, they’ll associate the start of the year with fun and possibility. What those new folders will hold and the shrinking of those tall pencils are small signs that your child is learning. The most important back-to-school supply, though, is your child’s self-confidence.
