Back To School Supplies Online

By Amy Andrews

Buying back to school supplies can be trickier than it sounds. Every August it's the same decision. Do you buy school supplies before the year starts, so your kids can show up on the first day prepared? Or do you wait until the teacher provides the list of necessary supplies?

Waiting for the teacher's list does have its advantages. It prevents you from spending money on back to school supplies that will never be used. It ensures that you will buy the supplies that your child really needs. On the other hand, buying back to school supplies before the school year begins has its advantages as well. For one thing, your child will be prepared to work on the very first day, which is always nice. For another, you won't be scrambling to buy school supplies at the last minute, along with countless other parents crowding the office supplies store with their own lists. Most of all, the best sales on back to school supplies are often long before back to school time. If you shop in early August, you can find some great deals on school supplies of all kinds.

So if you really want to save money, you probably shouldn't wait for the teacher's list of back to school supplies. Go ahead and use your judgment, and buy while the buying is good. In reality, it's not that hard to know what sorts of supplies your children will need for school. Obviously they will need pencils, and lots of them. Pencils have a habit of getting destroyed or lost. So buy in bulk. And don't forget a hand-held sharpener or two. Even if the classroom has an electric sharpener, it's a tremendous convenience to be able to sharpen at your desk. As long as your child has a sharp pencil at the ready, he or she will be fine. Other back to school supplies are really just extras.

Still, your child will want those extras. So buy some spiral or marble notebooks. You will definitely need some two-pocket folders - they are always useful. When purchasing back to school supplies, college-ruled loose leaf paper is an absolute must. If your child is in fifth grade or above, make sure to get some ballpoint pens as well.

The rest of those supplies you may be considering, or that your child may be asking for, are extra. Glue, file cards, highlighters, markers, crayons, glitter gel pens, silly erasers and locker magnets are not necessary back to school supplies. But they are fun to have around. And what's the worst that could happen? If you buy back to school supplies that your child doesn't use this year, then you simply won't have to buy them again next year. - 29940

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