Photo by ladybugbkt
There are so many different opportunities to get school supplies for pennies on the dollar right now. It's wonderful to be able to stock up for school, but with all the great deals it's good to think beyond just the school year.
Lisa emailed me with a great suggestion:
This year, I'm stocking up early for some charitable holiday giving. So far, I have picked up enough to fill 3 bags and am getting the backpacks cheap or free this week at CVS and Staples. Considering we still have at least a month to go before school starts and the Back-to-School deals just keep coming, those gifts will likely be very generously fulfilled!
I love this idea and hope that others of you who are taking advantage of the Back-to-School deals will also consider how you might be able to pick up a few extras of things to bless someone in need.
FishMama has some great ideas here for other creative uses for school supplies.
Do you have any other suggestions to add? If so, I'd love to hear them!
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No time to read the comments so this idea may be mentioned already. I stock up on back to school deals on erasers, pencils, colored pencils, washable markers, crayons, child-size scissors, watercolor paint sets, inexpensive artist paintbrushes, tiny stapler, rolls of cellophane tape, pads of construction paper, lined paper, folders, photocopy paper, glue sticks (and whatever else you remember that I’m not, that will fit in with this idea!). I then go to a packaging store and purchase a sturdy cardboard “check storage box”. Put about fifty sheets of plain photocopy paper in one side of a folder, and lined paper in the other. Start filling the box with the folder of paper, pad of construction paper, and then all of the individual/sets of items. If you have a wonderful old magazine with kid-themed pictures, include this as well.
I wrap the whole thing up in gift wrap and give these as gifts to three or four year olds as “art boxes”. The magazine can be cut up to make collage type decorations for the box, or the box can be decorated with markers and crayons. (Use your discretion here – for the youngest recipients who haven’t yet learned how to use scissors or how NOT to eat glue, give those items to the mother on the side.)
This has been among the most enthusiastically-received gifts ever, by both the children and the parents. Although you may spend 15.00 or so dollars total even at reduced prices, the final box would be difficult to reproduce for under 40.00 during the rest of the year.
Also, use the sales to grab a package of colored markers for your own fix-it stash. I use a brown marker throughout the year to color in scratches on wooden furniture. The colored markers can disguise chips and cracks to beloved ceramics that have little “accidents”.
Blessings,
Michelle
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