By Melanie K. Nelson
All summer you have been thinking about the things that you need to do to help your family through the transition back to school but it always felt far off in the future. Ready or not, that time has come! If the back to school season snuck up on you a little too fast this year, don’t worry! The Back to School in a Breeze series is here to help you tie up any loose ends and help you set your family up for success this year. The first topic: back to school shopping.
Sure you can scrape by the first few days of school by letting your kids wear their favorite summer outfits but believe it or not, fall weather is right around the corner! Don’t put it off any longer, it is time to go back to school shopping.
Step 1: Get Organized
Believe it or not, the process of a successful shopping trip happens long before you ever get in the car. The first thing that you should do is sort through your children’s closets with them to determine what fits and what needs they may have. Do they have jeans that fit? Can that snug sweater turn in to a hand-me-down for a sibling? Make a detailed list of the specific items that each child needs. This list prevents the magical phenomenon of your child not owning a single pair of shoes as soon as they see the trendy new sneakers at the mall!
Step 2: Make a Realistic Budget
Sit down with your finances and make a serious assessment of how much money you want to spend on fall clothes for your children. After you have a total, break it out by child. Being practical about your spending ahead of time will make sure that there are no surprises when the credit card statements come!
Step 3: Schedule Individual Shopping Trips
I know that time is short since school has already started or is starting very soon, but really try to give each of your children their own shopping day if possible. Giving each kid their own day is not only a great way to spend some quality time with them before they get into their hectic school schedules, but it also sets the trip up for success. The truth of the matter is that each child may have very different shopping needs, and this way there won’t be fights at the store over who got more. You will get to give your children your full attention and make sure that you are making the best choices for them and your budget!
Step 4: Develop a Plan of Attack
Decide which stores you are going to ahead of time. Not only will this save you time wandering around malls, but it will also ensure that you find exactly what you are looking for in the price range that you want. Try doing some pre-shopping online with your kids!
Step 5: Get Everything on Your List
It is finally time to go shopping! I recommend getting everything that is on the list first, so that you make sure that the items that they really need have priority. After the basics are covered you can evaluate if there is room in the budget for extra things, like that bracelet that your daughter is dying to have!
Step 6: Slip in a Surprise!
After all of your shopping is done for your family, take a look at your receipts. If there is still a little money in the shopping budget, think back to each shopping trip. Was there something small that your child fell in love with, but didn’t really need? Consider sneaking back out to the store to pick up a small surprise for each of your kids. Imagine what a great start to the day it would be for them to come downstairs and see that new headband or wallet sitting on the breakfast table. I am a firm believer that (when possible) life should have more surprises for no reason!
Bonus Tip: Look for Transitional Pieces
Chances are that your kids are going to want to wear their new clothes as soon as possible! Help them out by getting versatile clothes that transition from the warm end of summer into the cool fall days. For girls think about dresses that can be worn with sandals while its warm, then with leggings, a jacket and trendy flat ankle boots when the temperatures drop. For boys, you can’t go wrong with button-up shirts that can be worn open (with an undershirt) and shorts, or buttoned with pants and a jacket or sweater!
Happy shopping!
