Around here, read this as "Just my home because no one else is as crazy as me," Back to school is a job that requires patience, much patience, and time.
NOW is the time to think back to school. At the start of the school year, for most children, they will need some clothing that is lighter weight and will be able to go from a chilly morning into a hotter afternoon/evening. Fortunately, most of my kids will only grow one size, or perhaps two, in a one year time span. Now is the time to buy up those summer capris, skirts, long board shorts, and short sleeves at awesome prices. Snatch up the deals and make sure to buy them at a size or two bigger, you know about how fast your kids grow in a year.
Those clothes go into the Back to School bin with a label for the next year, if you are terribly organized. If you are like me, they go into a bag and sit in a corner of a room that is not used often or the outbuilding. (There is organization in my chaos, most of the time)
Any items in this bin can be paired with a sweater or light jacket to make it transition from the cold morning into the warm afternoon a more comfortable experience. Remember to write the kids names on the inside of the jacket. If there is no name plate spot to write on, or its reversible, write on the lining of the inside of a pocket, a child trying to put goodies into a pocket will notice the writing and you are more likely to get back a lost or mistakenly traded identical item.
Keep an eye out right now for the tissue sales and hand soap sales, stock up and don't send them all in a once. Mid way through the year you will find that the teachers are running low on supplies, but there will be no sales and no one likes to pay full price, but your quick thinking has saved the day and you are the parent of the month when you walk in with 4 boxes of class tissues and 2 bottles of hand soap. If you find that you don't need to use them all, you already have a jump on next years supplies and don't have the added burden of being hit with inflation!
After each of the holidays; Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, Valentine, St Patty's Day, you will find that there will be a TON of craft supplies and cards that will be a welcome in any classroom and most of them go down to 75% off. I stock up for anything that I may want to do at home the following year, and also for the school. ( I would totally love to say that I am able to hold onto everything, but sometimes the kids get into the beads, or feathers, or cards and play decorator or post man way before I want them to and I can only sigh and say that they had a good time)
After the Christmas season has left and the last of the 75% off items are gone, you will find that the winter clothing is going 70-80% off. Yes the pickings may be slimmer, but you can get a really warm winter jacket, brand new, that was regularly 70 bucks for pennies on the dollar. I'll search through slim pickings any day! We found some really good deals last year and many of our three piece outfits for my girls (jacket or sweater and long sleeve shirt and pants) were picked up for under $10... FOR THE ENTIRE SET! Not only am I buying quality clothing that will last, I am ensuring that when I do have to have the occasional item at retail prices, I will have the savings to do it with!
If you really want to extend the idea, you can always start your "Back to Summer" shopping the same way, of course it takes time and planning to hit the end of the year sales at the right times. :)
This is one, of the many, ways that I can live a life full of children, and material goods, at a reasonable amount. :) I did this in my previous career as a homeschooling mother, and find that it helps out even now as a public school parent!
In case you need to see it to believe it, here is some photo evidence. The first photo shows that it really was a 3 item purchase for a great price, the next that I didn't have a hard time finding the deals, the third and fourth are the cute styles! Happy savings!
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