Back to School Tips - Save Money, Time, and Your Sanity

It may seem like a long ways a way, but back to school time is soon approaching! Before we know it, we will need to start the mad dash to frantically get everything ready for that much awaited, or dreaded, first day of school. Here are some ideas to help you save time, money, and potentially your sanity.

• MAKE A LIST AND CHECK IT TWICE - Yes, play Santa Claus for a little bit. Sit with all the separate lists they give your kids, and consolidate them into three master lists: one for uniforms and clothing, one for textbooks, and one for materials. Check and make sure that in rewriting an consolidating your lists you have not accidentally left anything out.
• START EARLY - Starting early will probably not save you a whole lot of money. In fact, you might miss out on some of the season's most impressive sales. But, it WILL save you time, and a bit of sanity. So, think of it as a bit of a trade off. Yes, you might end up spending a bit more money, but you'll avoid the long lines, madness and sold-out items that come with waiting for the big sales to come.
• DON'T CHASE AFTER SALES - I know this sounds contradictory, but two things typically come out of chasing sales: you either spend more on gas than you save with the sale, or you end up buying more than you first intended. See, when we chase around sales, it becomes very difficult to remain organized. When you have all of your shopping in one cart, you can always double check the items on your list. My advice is to pick one place that you know offers good value for each of your three master lists and where you know you can find most of the things you need. Go there, and stay there. Move to another store ONLY if you cannot find specific items, and make a separate list of those items before moing on to the next store.
• ORGANIZE A COMMUNITY BOOK SWAP - Text books are expensive, and some can be very hard to find. So, be a leader in your community and organize a day or two in which everyone gathers at a central location, like the public library or the community center, with their used textbooks. You can either organize it like an auction in shich one person or team is responsible for selling or trading the books, or you can set up tables for each person to negotiate their sales and/or trades with other interested parties.
• ESTABLISH A ONE VANITY ITEM LIMIT - The designer jeans, the trendy backpack, the in-brand tennis shoes,... Kids, especially teenagers, can really spend your entire back to school budget in one shopping trip to the clothing store. My suggestion: negotiate, in advance, a one vanity item limit. Have them decide which of the "in," trendy items in their wish list they really cannot do without. Offer to get it for them, as long as they understand that everything else will be replaced with less expensive alternatives.

Hope these ideas help bring the end of your Summer, and the transition into the new school year to a happy and peaceful resolution. Enjoy what's left of the Summer and take the time to enjoy each other and bask in the sun!

Marcy Amaro is the owner and creator of [http://www.GlobalMarketingClassroom.com]. She is a Christian, wife, mother of two, and a former English teacher. She has found a way to put her family back at the top of her priority list. You too can have the time and resources to focus on what's really important and enjoy life once more! Find out how at http://www.StrategicMarketingMaven.com.