If you have kids then you are most certainly looking for the best back to school sales, deals, tips, and hacks on how to prepare for the first day of school and on how to score the best merchandise that still fits within your budget.  

The big day is coming and kids, as well as parents, can benefit from a little planning and strategy to make the beginning of the school year go as smoothly as possible. 

Whether your child is starting their first day of kindergarten or their first day of highschool, as parents we all go through the same routines of shopping and preparing.  And hopefully, all the while, keeping the stress level down.  

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How To Prepare Your Little One For Starting School:

For those of us with young children who may be experiencing the first day of preschool or the first day of kindergarten, you may be wondering how to get your child ready for this new experience.  

1. Holly, from Simplify Create Inspire, gives great advice on how to address anxiety and first day jitters.  She gives insightful and practical advice on how to prepare for the first day of school. 

A few recommendations that she makes for our youngsters include:

• Visiting the school

• Rehearsing necessary skills beforehand

• Allowing your child to have some control over the first day of school purchases

• Creating routines at home

• Teaching coping strategies

You can read her full article HERE. 

2. Mina from Waylos recommends preparing for that first day way before it’s actually the 1st day of school.  These great tips include: 

• Getting your kids into an appropriate sleep schedule

• Picking out clothes the night before

• Prepping snacks for kids

• Getting yourself organized to decrease stress.

You can check out the full article and tips HERE. 

3. Lisa, from Fluxing Well, is a wife, mom, former teacher, and school librarian who recommends using books to ease the first day of school jitters.

Her list of books is great for students and parents.  They would also make great books for teachers to share with their students on the 1st day of school.  

You can check out her full list HERE.

Shopping For Those Back To School Sales

It’s easy to get caught up in all of the hype of “back to school sales” and needing the “best” for our children.  But taking the time to prep for this big event will allow you to stick within your budget and still make everyone happy.  

So how do you keep your budget in check while back to school shopping?

1. Cindy, a former teacher, at Living For The Sunshine, recommends that you look for quality items to purchase that will last a lot longer.  She also believes that you should stock up when there is a good deal and items are on sale so that you avoid paying full price later.  

You can get all of her tips HERE. 

2. Gemma from Seaside Sundays has great tips on how to cut costs on back to school spending. 

She recommends: 

• Shopping your own closet

• Finding hidden school supplies in your own home

• Creating a master list as you declutter and organize your home so that you know exactly what you have and what you need to buy. 

You can check out all of her recommendations HERE. 

3. Stacey from The Soccer Mom Blog gives 5 simple tips on how to maximize your kid’s back to school clothes budget.  She makes it simple, by telling you what to look for (hint: Jeans are always in style and can be paired with anything) and how to make clothes shopping easy and stress free. 

You can check out her tips HERE.

3. Biana from Tasty Galaxy recommends first going through the clothes and school supplies that you already have.  Then to see if there are hand me downs from older children or from other families that you may be able to use in order to cut costs.   

If you must buy new clothes and supplies then she encourages you to look online for sales at the major retailers.  

Click HERE for all of Biana’s back to school shopping hacks.

A few recommendations of items that I love:

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And if you are shopping online, definitely use cashback sites to get even more of a discount.  

I recommend Rakuten (current offer: sign up today, spend $30 and get $30) or Top Cash Back.  If you are going to shop online anyway you might as well take one more (small) step and get a percentage of your purchase back. 

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4. And we can’t forget about all of our homeschool families.  Just because your kids are not going to a traditional school setting, it doesn’t mean that they don’t need 1st day of school supplies.  

Suzanne from Homemade Wonderland gives you the inside scoop on the must have items for your homeschool shopping list this year.  

Most parents got a taste of what homeschooling is like this past year and I’m sure there is more than one of you who wishes that you had been more organized and had the supplies and resources that you needed to make learning at home more efficient and effortless. 

Suzanne’s homeschool list includes items for the student, teacher, and the classroom.  

You can see her list of recommendations HERE. 

5. Lastly, Lisa from Fun Money Mom has a list of 7 back to school items that you should not forget to buy.  She reminds you about the small things that you may overlook. 

You can check out her list HERE. 

Back To School Organization Tips

We want our kids to have a great 1st day of school and to also carry that excitement through the entire school year.  So how do we prepare our kids (and ourselves) for a busy year? 

The best ways to keep the momentum and positivity going is through planning, organization, and managing expectations.  

1. Create a Schedule

Young children are very routine oriented.  I have found that our kids do really well with a schedule.  

We may not stick to the schedule 100% but on days that we do our kids thrive.  

They are able to see exactly what is “next” in our day and are more than happy to check the schedule and follow through.  Having a set schedule would be especially helpful if you are homeschooling. But it would be equally beneficial for kids that go to school daily.  

A schedule is also really helpful for parents as well.  It allows the entire family to group their expectations together.  There are no surprises.  Adults can plan for a specific event to take place at a certain time, just like the kids. 

2. Have a Morning (and nighttime) Routine

Marissa from Mommy Knows What’s Best recommends assessing and revamping your morning routine to decrease stress.  

A routine that starts the night before and continues into the morning will help both parents and kids get ready faster. It will also eliminate frustration and make your mornings a little more delightful.  

You can find all of Marissa’s morning routine tips and tricks HERE.

3. Set up an at home workstation

Having everything that you or your child needs all in one place will save time, for everyone.  Kids know where to find supplies and parents know what needs (or doesn’t need) to be purchased.  

Having a “command center” will also keep your home more tidy and organized, which will allow for less stress.  

4.  Get Organized

Being organized makes life run so much smoother with less stress.  Pick out the one thing that you find most stressful about your day and find a way to streamline it. 

This may include: 

• Meal Prepping

• Meal Planning

• Having a cleaning schedule to follow

• Using a physical or digital planner

• Automating your finances

• Creating a home management binder to keep everything in one place

Final Thoughts on The First Day Of School

Both students and parents alike need to prepare for this big day.  

There can be anxiety and stress leading up to the 1st day of school. But there are tactics and tips that you can utilize to make this day, and the days leading up to it, go much smoother.  

The amount of money spent before and during the school year can be surprisingly high, but it doesn’t have to be.  There are ways to stretch a dollar, decrease spending, and stick to your budget.  

Don’t let the pressures of society and keeping up with the Joneses alter your spending habits.  

Remember to see this milestone as a positive experience. It is a moment in time that you will never get back so you should take a minute to stop and enjoy every second of it. 

Related Articles to Enjoy Stress Free Time With Kids:

47 Easy and cheap meals that you can make today on a tight budget

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The lost parenting guide: How to survive among the chaos of life

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