Money-saving Tips for Back-to-School Shopping

Though it seems like summer has just started, it is not too soon to begin thinking about back-to-school shopping.  Beginning this task early will ensure that you are able to get organized, take advantage of coupons and sales and will allow you to spread out your spending through the summer. We have detailed some fantastic money-saving tips to help you spend less and get more for your money.   

Get Organized

The number one problem with overspending on school supplies is lack of organization.  Have you ever gone to the grocery store on an empty stomach only to come home with more than you intended?  It works the same with back-to-school shopping.  Before you head to the store, take a detailed inventory of any items from last year that will work for this year.  Have your kids sort through their clothes and shoes and determine the essentials needed to begin the year.  

Make a List

Now that you are organized, make a list and stick to it!  Most schools offer detailed supply lists of required items.  In addition to these supplies, your child will need a good backpack, lunch box and tennis shoes.  Check your inventory of items from step one and cross off anything that you already own.  Remember that the school supply list is a starting point for your child.  Depending on his age and classes, he might require a graphing calculator, PE clothing, or a specialty item for an elective class.  Add all of these items to your list.

Determine Your Budget

Back-to-school shopping can be quite expensive, so it is necessary to determine your budget before you purchase even one pencil.  Prioritize your list and estimate the cost of all of the supplies.  If the cost of the supplies is greater than your budget, you will be able to purchase top-priority items first.  Often supply lists include supplies used throughout the entire school year.  Since some of them will be used later in the year, you will be able to delay those purchases until necessary.

Shop the Sales

Beginning as early as July, major retailers begin their back-to-school sales.  In fact, some of the best deals happen when most people have not even begun to think about school shopping.  Start planning early and watch the weekly ads in your area.  You will be amazed at how much you will be able to save.

Combine Coupons with Sales

One of the great things about coupons is that they are valid even during a store sale.  Historically, manufacturers produce coupons for common school supplies throughout the summer.  Print them off or cut them from your local newspaper and then hang on to them.  When you locate a great sale, use your coupons at the same time.  This can save you hundreds of dollars, depending on what supplies are required for your child.  

Take Advantage of Tax-Free Weekend

Many states offer a tax-free weekend or tax-free shopping days specifically for back-to-school shopping.  The special often includes school supplies like pens, pencils and paper and likely also includes clothes.  Additionally, most retailers will schedule store sales, coupons and other incentives during this tax-free time.  If your state allows, this is a great time to purchase big-ticket items like computers and textbooks. Let’s be honest… most people do not want to think about back-to-school shopping during summer.  However, those months will go by much faster than you think.  Start early and plan your schedule for the summer.  You might even be done when others are just starting!

dislaimer: this post may have affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing through them, I may receive a small commission. These small purchases help me to continue to keep writing content and creating at Holy Craft. Thank you!

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A back to school guide for the teenage (and college) years

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Schick®. The opinions and text are all mine.

The start of this school year is a little bittersweet for me.  It will be the last year when I have all three of my kids at home starting school together.  

It's hard to believe this sweet boy who started Kindergarten with a teddy bear, will be starting his senior year.  We have been researching colleges and talking about future plans a lot, but it still doesn't feel like this little guy-my little guy-should be heading off into his final year of high school and preparing for college in less than a year!

When my kids were in elementary school we would receive a supply list from their school with everything they needed listed from glue sticks to markers on it. I would purchase the items and cross each one off as I got it filling a bag with their school supplies that would get unloaded on back to school night. Now that I have two teenagers the back to school shopping has changed a little bit.Instead of crayons we are picking up disposable razors, instead of safety scissors we are stocking up on deodorant.  Back to school shopping is different from those elementary school days, which is why I have put together a little back to school shopping guide for the teenager years.  

This guide works perfectly for our 13 year old daughter and it will last us throughout the college years, because you know your kids are going to want you to still go back to school shopping with them before college starts. Mostly because you open the wallet and follow behind them as they fling things into the cart.

I've put together five tips to act as a little back to school shopping guide for you.

1. Make back to school shopping a one stop shop

When our family does back to school shopping we always stop at WalMart because we can not only stock up on all of the pens, pencils, notebooks and binders my kids need, we also can get all of our back to school hygiene products.

The sweet boy with the teddy bear now grows facial hair. He's sort of let his "beard" grow this summer but I know once he heads back to school he's going to want to put his best foot forward and feel good, clean and confident as a senior.  

Schick has several disposable razor options to try for both men and women, which is good because these young men and women are still figuring out what they like. My son picked out the Schick Hydro® 5 and my daughter went for the Schick® Hydro Silk® disposable razors. 

2. Stock up

While we were in the personal care aisles we also stocked up on shampoo and conditioner {or two in one products}, deodorant, hair care products {pretty sure my son uses more product than I do!} and body wash, because who uses bars of soap anymore?  Apparently they don't.  The kids could already be stocked up on all of their shampoo but it doesn't take long before you get the trickle effect and start hearing "mom, I need..." or "mom, I'm all out of...". It's happened before where I will go to the store to pick up shampoo for one kid and the next day another kid will tell me they are all out of something. Stock up all at once.  Or if you are shopping for your college kid, buy as much as you need to get you through December and then you know they will need to go shopping with you when they are home on break.  It's a good little excuse to hang out with your kids when they are starting to feel distant.

3. Let them be particular

Through the school years my kids have gotten pretty particular about the school supplies that they like to use.  My daughter likes gel pens not felt tip. My son likes one kind of pen over another because it's easier to chew on. I'm cheap, so I balk at the $9 price tag for a four pack of pens, but if that's what makes school easier for them, buy it. You can save money on the items they aren't particular on and splurge on the others.

4. You don't have to buy it all before school starts

Contrary to number 2 when I'm talking about personal hygiene products, I have found this to be true many years over. One year we were told we needed five reams of graph paper for an algebra class.  Five years later we still have all five of those reams. Pick up the basics and then wait until your kids get their syllabus the first week of class.  If you have a college student, pick up the basics they used all the time in high school.  You know they are going to need pens {perhaps even special pens they can chew on!} , notebooks and notebook paper and folders and highlighters.  Any special supplies can be picked up on campus.

5. Relax

Do you remember the days when your kids were stuck to you like velcro?  Like literally stuck to you? I remember peeling kids off of my legs just to walk to the bathroom and now there are times that I have to bribe them just to hang out with me. I've been known to offer a special drink or treat from the store in return for some companionship on a shopping trip. I never have to bribe my kids to go back to school shopping with me. So relax. Enjoy the time that you get to have with your kids and soak it up.  Add in a stop to their favorite restaurant for dinner or a stop at the froyo shop on the way home. O.k. so maybe that part is bribing, but a moms got to do what a moms got to do!This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Schick®. The opinions and text are all mine.

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Pineapple pencil pouch made with Duck Tape

Duck Tape is by far my favorite back to school supply. I use it for everything! I update boring supplies,  I make one of a kind lunch bags and tote bags out of it, and I used it for making this fun pineapple pencil pouch for my daughter.

There are some great new prints and always fabulous solids out there. Duck Tape has the best selection!

I knew I wanted to make something pineapple themed with the pineapple tape because, hello, pineapples.

I started by making duck tape paper. You basically roll out your tape and then fold it on itself.  You connect the strips by overlapping them slightly on the top edge.

I used three strips to make the Duck Tape paper that would be big enough for my pineapple base.

I folded the paper in half {keeping the folded crease at the base for the bottom} and then cut around the edges making a pineapple shape.

I then took the coordinating yellow duck tape and attached two strips each to the top edges on both sides to make the top of the pineapple.

My husband walked in on me during this stage and thought I was making a bathing suit top!

At this point, the only part of your pouch that is attached is the base.  Anything you put inside will fall out. We need to fix that!

I took a piece of the pineapple tape and put it on the backside of the pineapple base. I made sure the length of tape was long enough and folded it on top of the tape creating a side seam.

I secured that side seam and then cut around the edge.  I didn't cut right up to the original edge, but gave it a 1/8" overlap so that the edge would close and be secure. I did this on both sides of the pineapple base.

For the top, I used the solid yellow and put tape overlapping on top of it horizontally. Then I cut out the pineapple top shape freehand.

Your pouch is complete! The edges are secure and you can slip in anything that you want.

I like using the pouch for pencils.

What would you use it for?

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Easy to make tassel pen and coordinating notebook with Duck Tape

It feels like summer just started, but really, it's starting to wind down a bit and we are beginning to think about heading back to school.  My kids have been doing this school thing for quite some time now. Two of the three no longer get lists of school supplies in the form of a checklist. They just know what they like and what works for them.

My daughter is obsessed with stationary supplies. I had no idea that was a thing. But then I started mentioning it to other people and apparently there are other people who love office supplies. Who knew? Maybe you {or one of your kids} is one of them!

I learned that one of the things that office supply lovers love is coordinating supplies in a great print. One of our best tricks is picking up Duck Tape and using that to update cheap school supplies.



A plain composition notebook on sale can be picked up for less than a dollar. One with a fun print is usually at least double. So why not make your own? Not only that, now you can use your Duck Tape to create coordinating supplies for everything from folders, to pencils and pens. The only thing stopping you is your creativity!

Tassels are hot this season, so not only did we want to coordinate some supplies, we wanted to do it in style!






To make your tassel pen, you are going to need a Duck Tape print you love and a solid color to coordinate. You will also need some scissors and some pens. I painted my pens gold before we started. You can find the tutorial here.



Start by rolling out your Duck Tape print about 20 inches. Cut the tape and fold the ends into the center so that the sticky parts are covered and you have a print on both sides.



Take your scissors and cut lines about 3/4 of the way up to make your tassels. Doing this on the whole strip of Duck Tape that you made.



Carefully roll the tape up as tight as you can focusing on the top, uncut part of your Duck Tape.



Use your coordinating solid color to create the top of the tassel and the "string" that will hold your tassel on to your pen.



Make a small piece that has been folded in on itself as the string and use another small piece to wrap around the top of your tassel to hold it in place. Don't secure the piece of Duck Tape that you use on the top of your tassel without adding your string to the inside.  Once you add that, you can close the tape up.



Secure the tassel with tape to your pen.
You can also use your Duck Tape to cover the front of a notebook or folder.



That's it! Now you have one of a kind coordinating school supplies to take back to school.



What school supplies will you update?

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NatureBox for back to school snacking

It's nearly back to school time for us and while the new backpacks are stuffed with fresh markers and pencils, I don't want to over look the most important part of back to school time.

Snacks.

About six months ago, I discovered NatureBox for the first time.

The snacks could not have been delivered at a better time.

We pack lunches for our three kids every day of the school year, and by the time my first NatureBox delivery came I was just about burnt out on lunch packing.

Making lunches is about the worst chore ever during the school year.

Can I get an amen?

I loved the fresh new ideas for snacks that I could send with my kids to school,

and don't tell them, but every snack by NatureBox is nutritionist approved, with no artificial sweeteners, flavors or colors.

My oldest son has a nut allergy.

NatureBox has over 100 snacking options, many of them are nut free.

And finding nut free options {or vegan, or soy free, or milk free} is easy.

Simply click here and then select your dietary needs.

Want to know what's in my NatureBox every month?

Lemon Pucker Pistachios

Roasted Kettle Kernals

and Santa Fe Corn Stixs

The other two snacks I put in my box change every month.I have yet to be disappointed with my selection though and usually find a new favorite every month.With a new NatureBox delivery every month, my kids can have new snacks in their lunch box to try and it takes some of the guess work out of what to pack in their sacks.Because I like you so very much, and I love this company, I am offering my readers a discount.Click here to get 50% off your first month’s NatureBox delivery! ($10 value) using promo code: SNACKTOSCHOOL

Fine Crumbs: Promotion is good for 50% off your first month to month box or $10 off your first box in your first prepaid subscription. New and US subscribers only. Not valid on gift subscriptions and may not be combined with any other offers.
I know you will enjoy these snacks as much as I do.Don't forget to slip a lemon pucker pistachio in your cart and think of me!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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Updating back to school supplies with Duck tape from the archives

All this week, I will be pulling out some of my favorite old projects from my Holy Craft archives.

I'm currently in Uganda with World Vision on a vision trip and couldn't be more excited to share my trip with you when I return.  In the meantime, if I am able, I will be updating my instagram with pictures.

For now, enjoy this back to school update from August of last year.

I know many of you already have kids that have headed back to school.

Not us.

We still have more than three weeks of summer left and we are not rushing it!

However, all of the stores are overflowing with school supplies which has my kids thinking that it's time to restock.

I was with my daughter in Walmart the other day, and we saw this great display for Duck Tape®.

Did you know you could buy so many different prints and patterns of Duck Tape®?

My tween daughter is heading to middle school and is very artsy and creative.

She loves bold prints and patterns and immediately fell in love with the chevron Duck Tape® and coordinating green and pink rolls.

We bought a few school supplies and scrounged a few that we had at home that were still in good enough condition to use for another year.

So plain and boring, especially for my artsy middle schooler.

We started glamming up these same old same old composition notebooks.

Three rolls of Duck Tape®...three notebooks with endless possibilities!

It was so easy, you don't need a tutorial, but I will show you one of the steps in the process as we took tape and covered the outer cover.

Next up, we tackled the boring clear clipboard.

We started covering it with tape in the same way we covered the notebooks.

The problem with clipboards is that they have the metal top that makes it difficult to work around.

But it was no match for Duck Tape®!

The tape molded easily around and cut clean.

Because I have two boys, my pencil stash had some skull covered mechanical pencils in it.

They just weren't cutting it for my daughter so we covered those in Duck Tape ® too!  

Nothing is safe!!!

I just removed the top of the pencil and the lead 

and measured out a piece of tape the length of the pencil that I wanted covered.

Amazing new coordinating pencils you would have never guessed were covered in skulls before!

I love using what I have to make something awesome!

My daughter and I had so much fun making all new school supplies with some new {and old} items.

She ended up with a chevron Duck Tape® binder, notebook, clipboard, three composition notebooks, a pencil box, pencils and those bows?  Those are coordinating magnets for her very first locker!

All it took was a little Duck Tape® and less than an hour.

Those school supplies went from a boring before to a fabulous after, just in time for my artsy tween daughter to start middle school!

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5 simple steps to decorating a fabulous locker with Locker Lookz

If you have a tween or teen daughter, you will be their hero if you read these 5 simple steps to decorating a fabulous locker with the help of LLZ by Locker Lookz.

Last year, my daughter had a locker for the very first time.

She was so excited to decorate it and put her own mark on it.

We spent hours decorating her locker last year.

Mostly because someone in the locker above spilled a nasty beverage that left the whole locker sticky and smelling like...well, you don't want to know.

Seriously, this is her locker after it has been cleaned.

It was nasty.

At the end of the school year, Isabella had to remove all of her decorations even though she would get the same locker the next year.

It took her longer than she would like to admit to remove the adhesive paper she lined the walls of the locker with and take down all of her decorations.

This year we learned about LockerLookz.

In under 10 minutes, and in five easy steps, we were able to decorate my daughter's locker

and we didn't need a single pair of scissors!

  Not only is LockerLookz easy to install, it's also easy to remove.  

There is no adhesive to damage your locker surfaces, just super strong magnets that are included!

Ready to get started?

Step 1: Apply your wallpaper.

The decorations fit most standard size school lockers {12"x18"x36"}, 

so there was no cutting or measuring.

The super strong magnets come with the wall paper and hold the paper in place.

The wallpaper comes with perforated cut outs in just the right places.

This one at the back was in just the right spot for a hook.

Seriously, this stuff is too easy to use!

I remember having to get an exacto knife and cut and measure around this hook. 

It took forever!

This time we just popped out the panel where the hook was.

It took seconds!

Step 2: Put in your rug.

My daughter picked out this green rug so that it would be a fun pop of color contrasting with the blue paper.

Step 3: Set up your shelf.

I know I shouldn't be surprised at how nicely this shelf fit,

but holy cow, it was like I measured it and made it!

I don't know why lockers don't come with a shelf already built in.

It makes so much more sense that way.

I'm sure it was a man who designed lockers.

Step 4: Hang your chandelier.

Yep, a chandelier.

For your locker.

How awesome is that?!

It even has a motion sensor so it turns on and off when you open and close your locker.

It's hung with a magnet on top.

And that bad boy is so strong, it's not going anywhere!

Step 5: add your accessories.

How cute are those flowers???

 And the mix and match dry erase board and locker bin are pretty awesome too!

I think this locker is ready for the new school year!

Best part is, she loves it!

You can purchase LockerLookz at Michaels, AC Moore, Staples and Meijer

LockerLookz is hosting a fun design your own locker contest on Instagram.

Grand prize is a $250 Visa gift card for a back to school shopping spree.

Each week 1 winner will be chosen to receive their full locker design 

1. Follow LockerLookz on Instagram

2. Go to LockerLookz.com and create your dream locker design using the design your own locker feature.

3.Post your locker design on Instagram and use the hashtag #LLgirlz and tag @LockerLookz

The contest ends on August 29.

You can find the official contest rules here.

Need some inspriation?

Follow LockerLookz on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram

Come see some of the other looks you can make with LockerLookz.

Disclosure: I was selected to review this product as a part of a Blueprint social campaign. All opinions are 100% my own. I wouldn't share something I didn't like.

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