If you go into the mall this time of year you’ll see plenty of people hastily loading their trolleys with school supplies and breaking the bank to pay for everything. With the 2023 South African school calendar kicking off on 11 January, and later for other provinces, parents must gear up for their back-to-school shopping even earlier and be prepared ahead of time. How can we shop smart and get our kids ready for the school year?
Here are some top tips to help turn back-to-school shopping from a stressful event to an enjoyable experience for you and your child, whether you’re shopping for quality school clothes, shoes or backpacks:
Check what you can salvage from the previous school year
Nicky’s school provides stationery packs ahead of time and I normally order these. However, I first make sure that we don’t double order things that we already have. Things like sharpeners, scissors and even flip files can be used again. Similarly for clothes: if it can still fit for another year, you don’t have to get new ones.
Shoes, on the other hand, are another story. Nicky must have gone through three pairs of takkies last year. That’s why I get them from Ackermans because he keeps growing and wearing them out.
Do an inventory sweep by going through their room to see what you can find and look inside the previous school year’s bag and pencil cases to find extra supplies lying around. For example, you might find an exam pad with only a few used pages and countless pens and pencils that you can salvage.
Stick to the school supplies list
When shopping for back-to-school supplies, parents can fall into the trap of thinking that they’d better get something “just in case”. That’s why it’s important to accurately list what your child needs for the new year and stick to it. This year I see they don’t need roll up crayons although those are always nice to colour with. Not on the list? You don’t need it.
Most schools provide a list for parents so that all the children in the class have what they need. So, follow up with the school or other parents to get that list if you or your little one misplaced it, and work together to ensure you buy more of the necessities and less of the nice-to-haves.
Shop for deals
Because prices change throughout the back-to-school shopping season, you never know when a particular item might be part of a deal. Thankfully, some retailers will start advertising their back-school deals early.
Pay attention to store promotions and check retailers’ websites for the best deals to ensure you get all the discounts. You can even subscribe to retailers’ emailers to keep an eye on the best deals from the comfort of your inbox.
Experience the convenience of shopping online
Although in the past, shopping for things like school clothes meant dragging your child around to avoid returning items that weren’t the correct size.
Online shopping can be your friend if you want to avoid the festive rush or mall mayhem.
Retailers like Ackermans have made it convenient for consumers to find items online among their various back-to-school products. The retailer has introduced online fit guidelines for girls, boys as well as one for shoes to ensure you find that perfect fit. Best of all, you can effortlessly get the best deals on these back-to-school items without walking from one store to the next, which can be an unpleasant experience when shopping with your little one.
Ackermans will also be helping parents with deals that won’t break the bank while saving them valuable time. For a limited time period, when you buy for R600, you will pay R450, saving R150 on back-to-school products (excluding character lunch ware) while getting to experience the ease of online shopping and the convenience of using their sizing/fit guides, which will also be available online. See the rest of their BEST DEALS back-to-school catalogue HERE.
Although back-to-school shopping isn’t always fun, it is necessary. So, parents should do it well in advance to minimise the hassle, get the best deals, and avoid the new year rush.
Disclaimer: Ackermans is the headline sponsor of the Parenting Blog Awards.
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