From our readers, their best school supplies hacks

Delay the Big Buy

Don’t stress out about buying every single item on the general school list before the first day. The kids often come home with different supply lists from the teacher that require other items, and the school never expects everyone to be fully stocked right away. I send my kids with just the basics on the first day and do the rest of the shopping during the first week.

Promote Your Dish Rack

My best school supplies caddy: a dish rack. Any notebooks or seforim that stay at home go into the main section, and pencils go into the silverware cup. We keep it on the dining room table all week, then tuck it away for Shabbos.

Spending vs. Skimping

For anything that runs out over time, go as cheap as possible. But for things that will be reused, buy them once per kid. Get your pencils and paper and markers from Dollar Tree, but go to L.L. Bean for a lunch box and backpack. Their stuff is high-quality and outlasts everything even the roughest boys put it through. Make sure to get them in a color that the kids won’t hate in a few years — make your kindergartner happy with pink, sure, but don’t get the sparkly rainbow poodles.

Backpack Boutique

To make school shopping more engaging, order everything online. Then, set up a miniature store at home and take each kid shopping, one at a time. They can use their own list to take what they need, then organize it themselves in their backpacks.

Dodge the Rush

I used to run to Walmart for their rollback prices, but they were always out of stock. Now, I shop on Walmart.com and get the prices I want from the comfort of my home, at a convenient time. I stock up on any steady items that are on sale, like glue sticks and looseleaf paper.

Get the Inside Scoop

If you know which teacher your child will be having, speak to someone who had the same teacher last year and find out what was actually used. I’ve had kids come home with blank notebooks and unused folders at the end of the year, and it’s very frustrating. Often, the whole list isn’t necessary.

Pocket Perfect

I put a hanging shoe organizer on the inside of our school supplies closet. Each pocket has another item in it: sharpened pencils, glue sticks, replacement lead, reinforcements, erasers. I keep Sharpies and good markers and liquid glue in the higher pockets, where the little ones can’t get to them for art projects. It’s perfect for homework and for quick restocks during the year. Inside the closet, the paper, folders, and notebooks are in those cheap DIY cubbies that you can buy on Amazon.

Hooked

I put hooks up on the wall in the corner of the kitchen for backpacks. This way, they all have a place that isn’t the couch, and they’re easy to find in the mornings — and for me to pack them up with snacks and lunch.

Buy Ahead

To save yourself time and money during the year, buy the things that kids might need during the year at sale prices: tri-boards, fun markers and stickers, construction paper (colored and white), and craft supplies. We like glitter glue pens. They’re especially useful when you find out about an assignment on the night before it’s due.

A Little Something

Back-to-school is rough for a lot of kids. Make sure that they have a couple of cute or fun folders or notebooks that make them feel good. More crayon colors than absolutely necessary and some nice extras. It’s only a few extra dollars to make their year a little happier and more exciting.

Double Up

Buy double the seforim so kids will have the exact same Chumash, Mishnayos, or siddur at home that they have in school. It’s also helpful to have doubles of school supplies at home, for homework and projects.

Shop Smart

Lands’ End makes great backpacks with a variety of styles and sizes. I buy one for each kid with the agreement that it will last them at least three years, and then they can get a new one. Their uniforms are also high-quality, if they have the right ones for your school, and they occasionally have sales that make them very affordable.

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 957)