Back to School Essentials at Coupon Shack

Since many of our children are running about our neighborhoods celebrating their last hoorah before gearing down for yet another school year, it is easy to forget that some districts are down to only a couple of weeks remaining before the first tardy bell rings. The amount of essentials that we are required to provide for our children nowadays may seem ridiculously extensive to some, but in this current economy the school budgets simply do not have enough to provide some of the basic essentials that they once could. It is important for parents to realize that any time your child goes to school without one of those required items their teacher will most likely provide it for them, and the funds for that item came straight from the instructor’s already diminished salary. This week Coupon Shack will focus on all of those school essentials that you need to be sure and pick up before the 2010 school year begins; and we will also help you find some of them at fantastic discounts.

1. The Basics
   The requirement list for student purchases normally varies by school districts and instructors also usually have a few requests of their own. For this reason alone, it is often a good idea to call or visit the actual school campus to obtain the list of items that need to be purchased, and many districts also post this type of information on their websites as well. Although we could not possibly name every item you’ll have to pick up over the next few weeks, here are most of them:
   • A sturdy backpack
   • notebooks
   • college rule notebook paper
   • Black and red pens
   • #2 pencils
   • highlighters
   • A ruler
   • A binder
   • a pencil sharpener
   • Index cards
   • A calculator
   • Sticky Notes
   • Graph paper
   • Gym clothes
   • a combination lock
   • Scissors
   • Scotch tape
   Of course, we also know about the huge back to school sales that the major retail stores like Walmart and Staples have each year, but one thing that you probably didn’t know is that these seasonal blowout prices are also available on their websites. This means no standing in line, fighting your way down crowded aisles, or searching for sold out items; just follow the above links and you’re done in minutes.
   
   
2. The Teacher
   We’ve already mentioned that your child’s instructor has several out of pocket expenses that the school board does not reimburse them for each year, and every classroom has a number of essentials that are constantly in need. Items to look out for on sale are:
   • Tissue paper
   • hand sanitizer
   • pencils
   • Construction paper
   • newspaper
   • staples
   • Crayons
   • mid-day snacks
   • seasonal decorations
   Be sure to ask the teacher if volunteers are needed as well, because many educational and leisurely field trips end up cancelled because of this reason. Also, if you breed small animals (fish, hamsters, etc) it would be a great idea to inquire if a small cage habitat could be placed inside the classroom for all of the students to enjoy.
   
   
3. Looking Cool
   If I could have just one wish granted by the Tooth Fairy or some magical genie that was once trapped within a lamp, I would probably spend it requesting that every single child throughout the entire world would have a new outfit to wear for the first day of school. This may not seem like a tremendously big deal to some, but that first day sets the tone for the entire year and new clothing makes us shine with confidence. Websites like Gap and Macys practically give their merchandise away during back to school sales, and the closeout styles on their websites can often be found at an even greater discount.
   
   
4. Tackling Homework
   Let’s face it; most of us rarely ever even open a magazine or a newspaper anymore because our cellular phones and office PC’s keep us constantly connected to the web, and if you’re not yet utilizing high speed internet for studying at home it should become a priority for your children. Of course, many of you probably have a great internet connection when it actually works, and that system you purchased a few years back could be humming and growling like it’s definitely on its last leg.
   
   One thing that absolutely robbed all of your computing power was viruses and spyware, and if you purchase a new system from Dell their award winning customer support team will make sure that never happens to you again. Their prices have become so competitive over the past few years that there really is no longer a reason to purchase anything but a Dell since they are the top manufacturer of computers on the planet, and if you shop their refurbished section there are steals to be had every single day.
   
   
5. Play Time
   Heading back to school isn’t only about studying; and of course your child will probably make several friends on the very first day that will introduce them to countless little games or activities that they had never before even dreamed of before. Dicks Sporting Goods carries most of the equipment your child may come home talking about, and not to be outdone by their competitors they are also having a back to school sale on everything from their licensed sports jerseys to sporting equipment and roller blades. Reward good study habits with great incentives like outdoor games and events, and your child is much more likely to take their studies seriously.
   
   Then again, if play time in your family means that it’s time to break out the band, we have found you some savings there as well. A website named Sam Ash is known to carry only the highest quality musical instruments, and since several of our children are active in their school bands we have worked out several exclusive discounts with them that can not be found anywhere else on the internet. Simple click the link above and use the coupon codes at checkout.
   
   
6. Attitude/ Diet
   One thing that many of us tend to forget is the actual peer pressure that is present within literally every school in the world, and as parents it is our responsibility to show positive reinforcement whenever possible when it comes to education. Get your young one to bed early several days before the first day of school so they can begin to get back on schedule, make sure to personally check their homework daily, and give them a great warm breakfast before heading off on the first school day. All of these things will help boost their spirits as well as their attention span while inside the classroom, and even though they make take most of it for granted it small changes like these help reinforce how important we value the entire learning process.

Posted by Keith on October 20, 2010     Tags: Back to School


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