How to Prepare The Back To School Shopping List

Post contributed by Valerie Vargas

      Shopping for back to school supplies comes down to two main tasks which are making the list, and then bringing it all home. This post is about my various lists.

      I begin by taking inventory of what the kids already have and I decide if any of it is salvageable. Thanks to sleep overs, and a few trips this summer, most of our supplies were either lost, or damaged.

     I take the lists provided by three different teachers and try to imagine my childs day and write down anything extra they might need. Then I create one master list and organize it into categories. I have one list for school supplies, one list for clothes and shoes, and another list for lunch.

     I check the advertisements for sales. I do this to pacify my thrifty side, but I usually end up at Target and Wal-Mart because they have practically all the items we need.

     Finally, I make a list called “out the door.” Last year I made it to the gas station before noticing I had left my wallet at home. Things I put on this list are purse with payment options, keys, master list, set the adt online security system, and check kids appearance.

Armed with my lists, I am ready to take the kids shopping for back to school supplies.