Shopping for Back-to-School on a Budget and Time Line

A friend of mine posted a comment recently about how she was not sure how she would be able to afford all the school supplies her 5th grade daughter needed by the time school starts. In these times of economic struggle, I imagine that learning to do school shopping on a budget has never been more important.

I spent the last year in an elementary school training to be a teacher so I've got some insight into the other side of the situation. The truth is that your child does not need all the supplies on day one if you can't afford them. By prioritizing your shopping list you can make sure you get all the immediate needs. You can also make a time line for shopping for supplementary supplies. Be sure to write a letter explaining your plan to your child's teacher. He or she will appreciate your attempts and be understanding. This will also open up opportunities for communication about how school is going later in the year.

You should have received a supply list from your child's school for each child you have enrolled. This list will contain items like paper, notebooks, folders, pencils, pens, art supplies, tissues, etc. Your first task is to divide these into categories. Create shopping lists titled Now, October, and February.

Supplies that are "Now" items are ones that your child's teacher will need in order to set up the classroom and get your child organized. If your child is not organized, he or she will likely not do as well. Organizational items include folders, notebooks, dividers, binders, and any other items that allow your child to keep alike work together or to keep track of tasks.

You also want to make sure that your child has some of the paper, pencils and pens required. These can usually be found by scouring your house and last years supplies. You may need to buy paper before school as it is often less used during the summer and may have been buried or discarded. You should be able to find some pencils and pens just lying around the house.

Supplies that are "October" items should be bought at the end of September or beginning of October. Your child will be sick of borrowing certain supplies and your child's teacher will appreciate the effort made to make sure your child has all the supplies he or she needs. In October you should list any loose leaf lined paper, and art supplies. You should also put one package of pencils. With pencils, I would recommend asking your child's teacher what he or she would suggest. Some pencils fall apart as you sharpen them. They are not actually cheaper if they last half as long or less.

"February" items are those that run out or are communal. Tissues for example are communal. Your child's teacher pulls a box out of the cupboard as needed. In February, communal supplies run low or out and teachers have to choose whether to spend their own money or go without.Your donation of communal supplies such as tissues and printer paper, will be much more appreciated at this time and will not be needed beforehand. You should expect to buy additional pencils at this time and perhaps also some loose leaf paper.

Now, with your back-to-school shopping list cut by a third, you are ready to go out there and look for the great deals, but only on the supplies your child really needs to start their year. Make sure to save up for the October and February supplies and write a letter to your child's teacher.

Good luck and have a great year!