back to school shopping alert!!!

Dear parents and not-so-soon-to-be back-in school-students!! (that's a mouthful)
Alert, Alert...Summer is not over yet!!
Please enjoy the remaining summer weeks and weather and try your best to ignore the mid-August shopping mania- we are held hostage by the fact that students in the USA head back to school mid-August (they finish at the end of May).
More of this...

linking up before the 'falls'



Splashdown Park fieldtrip June 2011

 Less of this...
The big box stores go from mid August back-to school- to Halloween in September and usually mid-October for Christmas mania. By September, when we do have to be back, the school supplies will all be on sale so hold back - who cares if the binders don't come in chartreuse hue?
Please try not to get caught up in the hype of the back-to-school 'sales'- yes, there are some good bargains to be had even if it is some cheap lined paper for 25cents BUT once your in the store the bells and whistles of all the other shiny (or not) baubles and bangles and 'must-haves' are soon going to have you emptying your wallet on all sorts of items that honestly are 'fluff' and really not useful or necessary in the classroom.

Remember that for grade six or seven your child does not need a $30 Texas Instrument Scientific calculator, a $23 binder that has files and attached doo hickeys (the doo hickeys vary from binder to binder) OR reams of Witeout' tape. There seem to be more 'must-have' items every year and truthfully the students use a fraction of what is bought.

Take stock of what your child already has and only then if you really need to get in on some shopping action, look for some GOOD quality pencils, some decent quality paper (the 25cent stuff is fine), get the 1inch vinal binders ($2) and on-sale packs of Kleenex (yes, Kleenex- the cheapest and most effective germ-stopping technology). Then STOP especially if your child is headed this year to high school- wait- you will have more information and lots of spending surprises soon enough. Take your time and shop around because every place is competing for your $$$$.
Now I am going to go sit in the sun and watch my laundry dry!!! Ah summer. LOL