Back To School…Back To Shopping
Whether you have bundled children off to school or are living life child-free, now is a good (and often neglected) time to hit clearance racks. The end of summer and back to school rush is over and the retail leftovers can be great budget savers. Think creatively, as many items marked 75 to 80% off can be re-purposed from their original intent. Beef up your preparedness status while preserving your financial well-being. Just a few tips to guide you:
Don’t forget to look for items in stores that don’t usually carry summer and back to school items. The greatest savings are often found in drug stores, grocery stores and some department stores.
Remember that Christmas is just around the corner. Many school supplies (think markers, magnets, crayons, cute notepads, colorful pencils, specialty pens, stickers, permanent markers, thumb drives) make great stocking stuffers. My grandchildren were thrilled one year when I gave each of them a large package of scotch tape rolls, one of their favorite craft items. The older children also received miniature staplers. Look for socks, fun t-shirts (maybe for pj’s), zippered pouches and organizing boxes.
Don’t forget children’s birthday party gift bags, gifts and activity days.
Many crafters will appreciate organizational tools, art supplies, etc.
Classroom teachers might appreciate a box filled with replacement supplies as a Christmas gift. Glue sticks, liquid glues, markers, white board erasers, stickers, etc. would be welcomed mid-year. Add some chocolate for the teacher and you have that item checked off your holiday ‘to-do’ list.
Accumulate enough art supplies to stock a ‘rainy day’ box. Again, a great gift or stand-by activity for snow days, rainy days or sick days.
Restock your own office supplies and organizational aids.
Check out clearance displays of dorm room ‘necessities’. You will often find over-the-door ironing boards & shoe holders (which can be used in any room to hold a multitude of little things), irons, plastic shoe boxes, folding hampers, under-the-bed storage, small book shelves, decorative items, organizational items of all sorts and sheet sets drastically reduced. Bedding in twin, x-long twin and double sizes are most commonly clearanced.
Don’t forget to stock up for your own gift wrapping supplies, such as tape, labels and markers. Some organizational items will be so inexpensive that they can be turned into gift wrapping. A shelf storage box lined with tissue paper makes a great gift box and a secondary gift.
Think 72-hour kits when you see flip-flops, zippered pouches, hand sanitizer, small notebooks, pencils, tape, markers, thumb drives and even flashlights.
Zippered pouches designed to hold small items in a notebook can be used in your purse, school backpacks, glove compartments, 72-hour kits, junk drawers, suitcases, overnight bags and craft rooms. Their size and transperant fronts make them ideal for organizing small items, while providing protection from dust and moisture.
Fill a zippered pouch with a pencil, your insurance information, a small notepad, a small flashlight, a disposable camera and a permanent marker. Store in your glove compartment. You might want to add a small bottle of hand sanitizer.
Look for kitchen items such as storage containers, food storage bags and even plastic dishes being clearanced out.
Snack and lunch box items packaged with summer or back to school themes may be greatly reduced. Freeze candies for Halloween or Christmas. Baking supplies such as cupcake papers may be reduced.
3×5 cards can be used for note taking, but also for labeling storage containers, recording important information for backpacks, glove compartments & 72-hour kits.
Use a thumb drive to record medical history, contact information, allergies, etc and attach it to your keyring. This can be a life-saver if you have significant allergies or other medical complications. Mark the thumb drive with a large red cross so that emergency personnel will notice it.
Purchase your family’s summer clothes for next year now. Don’t forget swimsuits, floaties, goggles, etc. Store them in a box clearly labeled and you’ll have a head start on next year. In many climates, ’summer’ clothes can extend well into fall. Don’t forget basic items such as underwear, socks, etc.
Office supply stores may clear out their specially packaged CD-R’s, DVD-R’s and other computer-related items.
Have fun shopping the clearance racks and look forward to the cooler days of autumn!
