Back-to-school sales in August are some of the best sales all year to get prepared. The variety of things for sale and the low prices can be a budget-friendly way to get your home prepared for whatever could come in the next year. You don’t usually see sales like this any other time of the year.

This next school year, we could see more lockdowns, schooling at home, inflation, supply disruptions, and more. Any one of those things means you need to be ready for whatever this next year throws at you. You may be home again or more than usual. Your kids may be home full-time or have less to do outside of school. Even though it seems like we just went through this, we are facing this possibility again. Being prepared for the possibility just seems like the smart thing to do.

The great thing about back-to-school sales is that they are geared toward kids, college students, and teachers. You are shopping across a wide age demographic that has specific needs for each demographic. This means that you will find sales on many things that will fit your needs, whether you are shopping for your kids or yourself. You will also be able to cover many areas and be prepared more than you were before. 

School supplies are the first thing to consider. Even if you don’t have kids in school anymore, this is still a good time to find some excellent deals and keep your home office stocked up. You may already be working from home and need supplies. You may find yourself working from home again and needing supplies. Either way, you can find some great deals on:

• printers and printer ink
• laptops and tablets
• paper (notebooks, legal pads, and printer paper)
• writing utensils (pens, pencils, and markers)
• sticky pads
• calendars and planners
• calculators

You can take this a step further and think about prepping:

• backpacks (bug-out and go bags)
• padlocks and carabiners
• water bottles
• cleaning items (disinfecting wipes and spray)
• facial tissues
• snack and sandwich-size storage bags

Food is usually on sale because parents like to get stocked up on lunch box goodies and snacks before school starts. If you are looking to stock up on juice, bottled water, and comfort food, these sales can save you a lot of money. If you are schooling from home, having some quick treats to give to the kids can be a sanity saver. If you are planning on sending them to school with lunch this year, definitely get stocked up on these deals so you can have quick things to add to their lunch boxes. You can usually find healthy options as well as a little treat. 

Clothes are usually on excellent sales during August. Kids and adult clothes can get as low as $4 for a shirt if you look in the right stores. With kids especially, that is a great price to stock up on the next size (or two) of clothes, so you are not scrambling for something to fit later. If we are locked down again, this means one less online order that you have to make. Also, keep in mind that summer clothes are usually on clearance during this time which means you can get clothes for next summer.

Dorm room and teacher supplies are also on big sale during this time. If you don’t already have a command center at home to keep everyone in the loop, you can find calendars, whiteboards, bulletin boards, and tacks to help you stay on top of life. Organizational items are also on sale, which means totes, bins, shelving, and more to keep your things together as well as your prepping gear and food storage. If you need to create a better office or study area, you can find plenty of supplies/organizational tools to get the job done.

If you think you need to get prepared for schooling from home again or have decided to homeschool, back-to-school sales will help you get set up and ready for whenever that time happens. You can also help supplement the schooling with crayons, markers, drawing paper, activity books, flashcards, art projects, and more that can also be found on sale in August. You can also go to a dollar store to score these things even cheaper. Just remember to have some things on hand to keep the boredom to a minimum and keep their minds stimulated. 

If you have a college student, don’t forget to get them stocked up on food, over-the-counter medicines, and cleaning supplies. They could end up in quarantine if they have symptoms and may need to put together a bag to take with them. They could also end up in lockdown in their dorm rooms/apartments and need food and supplies to stay sane and healthy. 

Whatever you decide you need to be prepared for this fall and upcoming year, having the items on hand now is better than scrambling for them in a panic. If you are in a panic for those items, chances are that everyone else will be too. You will also be spending more money and time to procure those items. Taking advantage of the sales now will give you peace of mind later.

Thanks for reading,
Erica

Sharing is caring!