. . not just for Christmas anymore! I’m all about lists. Whether it’s preparing for a trade show, a family vacation, grocery shopping . . . it doesn’t matter. I need a list so that I don’t forget all of the important things that might otherwise be left ignored.
So when it comes to back to school preparation, I need a little extra help making sure my three teenagers have everything they need before the school year begins.
Here are some handy tips and lists to make your Back to School Planning go just a little smoother:
Lists for School Supplies
Pens, pencils, notepaper, and all of the other items you need can add up. If your school is like ours, you can purchase everything you will need for each student during the school year in one big package. But what do you do if you’re like me and have occasionally missed the purchase deadline? Or maybe you have an elementary school student that likes to shop and pick out her own supplies? You’ll obviously need a list!
School Supply List has a very comprehensive list of schools around the country and the supplies required for each grade level.
Save Money
For a bit of insight and suggestions on how to keep costs down while shopping for school supplies, clothes and more AllYou offers some pretty good tips on how to be more thrifty.
Once school begins, I keep a Fodeez® Frame with dry erase capabilities 
on my non magnetic stainless steel refrigerator so that my kids can jot down what they need when supplies run out. I snap a quick photo with my phone to use as my in-store checklist while shopping.
School Clothes/Uniform Checklist
Depending on where you live, your needs will vary, but I found a really great general list of the number of clothing items each child needs at SingleParents.com
Your school dictates what students should be wearing, but I find that the items my kids need most often are socks! Watch sales year-round for the type of socks required for uniforms so that you can continually stock up and keep costs lower than running out each time you realize they’re out of socks.
Organization
An organized home and homework area can drastically improve grades and lower stress levels. I love these tips from Houzz.com on how to keep your space (and your kids’ spaces) organized to make things run more smoothly.
I have to admit my favorite tip is to keep a drawer or two in the kitchen of items kids typically need just before walking out the door. I plan to implement this tool in the construction of our new kitchen – so handy!
More Tips: Do you have other tips and suggestions for back to school shopping? We’d love to hear them!
