08/04/2021

Preparing for Back-to-School

I love summer.  Let me rephrase that: I love summer break.  I love that the days are slower paced.  I love the fact that there’s no homework, no after school practices, no drop off or pick up, and no set bedtime.  You would think I was the student.  So, as I started planning content for August, I began to feel a bit melancholy when I realized it was time to start talking about preparing for school.

The truth is, the Mitchell household has been preparing since June thanks to special order uniforms and the time required to embroider the school logo onto polo shirts.  Once that order is secured, we too must do the dreaded closet cleanout to determine whether khakis, dress shirts, and gym shorts still fit.  

Planning Back-to-School Clothing

• Have your kids try on the clothes they have to see what still fits.
• As you go through this process, create three groups of clothing per child – one to keep, one to give to a sibling, and one to donate.
• Before placing garments back into the closet, check for needed repairs or alterations.  
• Have your kids organize their clothes as they are placed back in the closet; this should help make getting dressed for school a bit easier.
• Develop a list of needs by child to help you stay focused and on budget.
• Before you hit the stores, see if you can schedule a clothing swap with friends and neighbors to help save a bit of money.
• Develop a budget to go along with your list and include your kids in the process.  Setting expectations beforehand tends to make the shopping process go a bit more smoothly.    
• Comparison shop, look for sales, try consignment stores, and shop the day of the sales tax holiday.  Many department stores run back-to-school sales beginning in mid-July, so if there is something that is needed, try not to take too long because items can get picked over quickly.    
• At the same time, you can always hold off on things that aren’t must-haves.  I learned how to say no long ago. 

These same tips hold true for classroom supplies – go through your house to see what you already have and try swapping with neighbors and friends before you head to the store.  

I’d much rather be heading to the pool than thinking about khakis and pencil boxes, but the first day of school sneaks up pretty quickly.  The last thing you want is to be shopping the day before school begins.  Being prepared and saving money requires some planning, so stop by one of our locations if A Cleaner World can help you with that process.