Back to school shopping always seems to spring upon me before summer has turned the corner. Ads fly in every direction. School supplies. New shoes. The trendiest fashion statement. The newest accessories and gadgets.  With or without the hype I admit that I do look forward to it. It’s like an unspoken challenge. I’ve learned over the years that it’s best to stock up now than wait until later. Come late-July when the sales begin, we take one day away from the beach and hit the stores. Who can pass up the white uniform polos at Old Navy, 3 for $12? Or a fresh box of Crayola crayons, 50 cents at Target? Or the stack of lab notebooks at Walmart, 10 for $1? Glue sticks, boxes of #2 pencils, highlighters, the latest in lunch bags that keep your meal chilled…all for a fraction of what you’d pay mid-winter. The kids and I wander the aisles, methodically tossing this and that into our cart while I wonder how the stores can sell the items for almost nothing. Or maybe I should be wondering why the cost of supplies increases fivefold once school begins? I plan ahead and buy extras for home.

Before each item gets tossed in the basket, I ask if it’s is on their school supply list. If the answer is ‘yes,’ then the price is requested. If the answer is ‘no,’ then it’s the question of ‘want versus need’ and ‘what does it cost.’ What they return to the shelves surprises me. The kids tally their items as we maneuver our cart through the stacks of notebooks and paper. The one splurge each year is the new backpack. Their choice. The only restriction is that it must fit their back, nothing too big that can carry an unnecessary load.

Arriving at the checkout, they sort their items and we wait our turn. We watch the scanner display prices. The commentary is mine, keeping them aware of the cost of items, what was needed and what was wanted. The backpacks pass over the scanner. I choke. I comment on the price. They plead their case. Even with the $40 backpack, the cost of supplies and new clothes is manageable. And I am pleasantly surprised… the total cost is lower than the previous year. Maybe the big stores can be my friends.

Summer isn’t even half over but the kids are ready for their September return. We drive home and stash the supplies in organized piles on closet shelves. I am pleased. We have met the challenge. The kids are learning to budget. They are learning the difference between needs and wants. It’s all part of my job definition. I am their mother. Each late-July this one day has become tradition. As much as we all enjoy it, one day is enough and then it’s time to dig our toes back into the sand.

Please share your back-to-school shopping adventures. What are your traditions?