this wasn't in the plan |but life is still pretty good

photo by ladybugbkt
With the start of school just around the corner, many families will head to the store to load up on new school supplies. Sure it's great to stock up on things like crayons, scissors, and glue (assuming you want them around the house and have or can foresee a need for them) but the best way to save money on supplies is to wait until the first day is over, after your child gets a supply list from his teacher(s). Yes, you may miss out on sales, but you'll also miss out on buying things you don't need - and that's a good thing!

Unless your child receives a supply list in the mail before school starts, send her off to school on the first day with the just the essentials. A child in the early elementary grades (K-2) will just need a pocket folder to keep papers that come home neat and organized and a pencil. Send older kids to school on their first day with a simple three ring binder (with a pocket for papers and some filler paper) and a few pencils. Save the calculator, index cards, report covers, planners, protractors and compasses for when you really know you'll need them. You also never know what supplies may actually be provided by your child's school. At the school I taught at before Bug was born, planners were given to all students and anytime we needed special math supplies, I just grabbed a class set for my students to use.

And finally, yes, those flashy binders that velcro closed are super cool, but your child's teacher may not even allow them in class. Teachers are trying to teach good, basic organizational habits and those tricked out binders can sometimes make things more complicated, not to mention they can sometimes be a distraction.  Remember that just because you can buy it at Target doesn't mean that a teacher will allow it in the classroom.