Back 2 School Supply Shopping

This tip was submitted by Ashley at Six Inches Of Ribbon!!!! Thanks for this tip on shopping and saving us money.

(If anyone reading this is in a similar situation as Ashley - buying supplies from a specific list- please email me at somedaycrafts@gmail.com)

With two children being in public school, the supply list can get a little out of hand. Where I live, it seems like the schools would love it if you bought everything, even down to the toilet paper. No, just kidding, its not that bad, yet! But here are the supply lists for my children.

Kindergarten
(Verbatim)
1 Cans Playdough brand - 4 Pack
2 Boxes 24-count Crayola crayons
1 4-pack Chisel Tip Expo dry erase markers
1 Package #2 pencils - Ticonderoga brand
1 4oz bottle Elmers white school glue
1 wide ruled spiral notebook - 180+pages
1 Pair 5" Fiskars Sissors
1 Box Kleenex
1 Red & Blue vinyl "Kindergarten" rest mat (these are thin!)
1 180-page Marble composition book
1 Box Ziploc Bags - gallon size
1 -8 count Crayola Classic broad Markers
1 Pack 9x12 Construction Paper - 50 Pages

3rd Grade
(Verbatim)
2 Packs 200 Sheet Wide-ruled Notebook paper
6 Pocket folders with brads (1each: red, blue, green, purple, yellow, orange)
4 Boxes 12-count #2 yellow pencils (sharpened)
1 box 24-count Crayola crayons
1 box - 12count Crayola Markers
1 Pair sissors
1 Bottle glue
4 black & white marble composition books
1 Yellow highlighter pens
1 box Kleenex
1 black sharpie
4 glue sticks
1 pack construction paper
1 box Ziploc bags - gallon size
1 - hard art box or sturdy pencil pouch

Now - I dont know about you or what your child's school supply list looks like, but that's a whole lot of stuff for children to have at school. I can understand the 3rd grade list. I dont mind his list at all, just because I know he will have all those supplies in his desk for his use.
But the kindergarten list is ridiculous!
I forgot to mention that at the end of the school year last year, you had the chance to purchase a box with all the school supplies in it for a small fee of $40.00!!
Forty dollars, I think, is a lot of money for one child's school supply list.
So let me give you a few tips on keeping the budget low while having to purchase all these supplies.

Tip One - Start Early! I mean early! I started shopping for supplies at the end of supply season last year. Shop when stores are trying to clean out their last little bit of supply inventory. We bought clearance glue, pens, pencils... etc. Then sock it away until the next year comes around.

Tip Two - Keep your supply list with those supplies. My school has all of the grades list on one page, so its easy to see what they will need for that next grade level. But make sure you pick up a fresh one sometime during the summer to make sure they didnt add something to the list.

Tip Three - Shop weekly, up until school starts. I shop on a weekly basis and only pick up the items that are on sale. Example, Target has markers on sale for $1.00 one week, and the next week they mark them back up to $2.48. I saved a whole $1.48 just by getting it on sale. Some weeks I only get a pack of pencils or the construction paper. But thats ok because I know they will have more things on sale that next week.

Tip Four - Save the oldest childs items that are still in good shape. I saved Austins nap mat for two years. Not one thing was wrong with it, so I stuff it away in our closet for Cadens turn to use it. Ill just scratch out his name and put Cadens name on it. Those mats are way over priced and they only use it for about 15 minutes per day for about half the school year. Crazy!

Tip five - Buy a little extra. In the past, at different times during the year, the teachers requested extra glue sticks or pencil erasers. So I like to pick up a few extra just in case they need more during the year. Plus if its not used, you can always use it at home for art projects and homework.

I hope these tips will help you this year and in the future. They have saved me so much money.
Im proud to say that Im completely done with supply shopping.
Now for the grand total I have spent on school supplies this year... for both children combined...
$22.96!!
Now if you remember earlier in the post, they wanted me to spend $40.00 per child on pre purchased supplies. That would have cost me $80.00. I saved a total of $57.04 using this method of supply shopping. I hope this has motivated you to start early and start saving some money!
Happy Shopping!!

Head over to Six Inches of Ribbon and tell Ashley thanks for the tips!!!!