Good morning! If, by chance, you found your way here after reading about me in that Bankrate.com article this weekend, welcome to The Cheap Chick! Pull up a chair and sit a spell. I hope you like what I’ve done with the place…
The big news this morning (aside from my unsolicited quotage for Yahoo! Finance) is Back To School. Although the kids just got out of class a month ago, it’s almost time to send them back. School shopping lists are published, supplies are on the big box shelves, and new fashions are swirling around the malls.
I’ve dealt with back to school issues here, here, and here. And every time I think about what you poor parents have to pay for school supplies, I get all verklempft. Remember when schools could afford to give kids paper and pencils? Or was that just my childhood? Moving on.
To soften the expensive blow, and give back to the community, I recommend shopping at Target – regardless of which political candidate they back in Minnesota. This week, supplies like Sharpies and 5-Star notebooks are on sale for $1, and cutie-pie backpacks are just $20. They also have locker accessories for just $2.50 (where were these when I was a kid?).
For you Walgreens fans, become an ACTUAL fan of Walgreens on Facebook and check out their weekly ad on their Page. You’ll find 2-pocket folders for 9 cents, backpacks for $3.99, markers and highlighters for 99 cents, and a coupon for 39 cent packs of pens and pencils.
My advice is to start shopping now, and slowly build up your stock of supplies over the next 4 weeks. Buy whatever is currently on sale, and hold off on the full priced items until their time in the for-sale spotlight rolls around. Then, by the time school starts, you’ll be stocked, locked and loaded. Also, be sure to set some items aside for use in the middle of the school year. Supplies always get used up, but don’t always go on sale.
What are your strategies for school shopping?
***Wow! Thank you for participating in my weekend poll! I’m sorry that I have to “approve” everyone’s comments before they show up on the page. Therefore, thank you as well for your patience in waiting for your comments to appear. You are all so fabulous!
One Comment
Congrats, Cheap Chick, on the blog exposure! Cool beans.
Awesome possum.
I am an auntie, and have been known to get school stuff for the little monkeys (and other people’s little monkeys as well). I think that stocking up only when supplies are on sale, and avoiding paying full-price is great strategy. Donating deliberately-purchased extra supplies to needy kids/organizations, especially after really good sales would be a super idea. I’d even go so far as to bring supplies right to schools, and let them divvy the stuff out to those in need. If I had to buy a backpack for myself or anyone else, I’d go back to LLBean.com. I got a backpack from them at least 10 years ago, and it’s still going strong. Some of the best $70 I’ve ever spent. I saw on tv that their packs are currently running 20% off right now, online and in their stores.
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