If you have kids, then you know the time of year has come where you are off to the store to check all the school supplies needed for your kids as they go back for another new school year. If you have more than one child, you very well know this can be a major expense once you make your way through the supplies list a few times over. Parry Custom Homes, a premier Pittsburgh on your lot builder, shares school supply hacks you can find at your local dollar store that will help your kids and your wallet as they start a new school year.
Back to school hack #1:
Instead of buying a new lunchbox that comes with an ice pack inside to keep your kids meals cold until lunch time, make a trip down the dishwashing isle at your dollar store and pick up a few kitchen sponges, some snack size zip lock bags and colorful duct tape.
You will be able to wet the sponge and freeze it, then place the frozen sponge inside the zip lock bag and cover it in duck tape. As the sponge melts, the moisture will stay inside the bag as it keeps the lunches you pack cool until lunch time.
Back to school hack #2:
Using the colorful duct tape you already purchased for the DIY freezer packs, pick up a box of freezer bags during your trip to the dollar store. Pick up a 3-ring binder and cut the freezer bag to the size of the binder, so it fits nicely inside. You can then cover the freezer bag in colorful duct tape and cut holes along the end to latch into the 3-ring binder and voila! You have a pencil pouch that can easily be replaced if it gets too dirty over the course of the school year.
Back to school hack #3:
If you have kids that are of elementary school age, pick up a handful of soap boxes and stickers. You can use these as easy to grab and go containers for crayons, snacks, erasers and any other loose school supplies. Your kids can decorate them with the stickers for a fun activity that will also get them excited to use them when they go back to school.
Back to school hack #4:
If your kids have lockers at school or if you have a place at your home where you like to keep their homework and school papers organized, save your cereal boxes before throwing them away! You can easily cut the tops off the cereal boxes and cover them in gift wrap or colored paper. You can stack them on top of one another and allow for separated cubbies for your kids to keep their homework and school papers organized.
Back to school hack #5:
Make your way over to the kitchen area of your local dollar store and pick up a few kitchen drawer utensil organizers. These can go in your child’s desk or locker at school, to help them keep their pens, pencils, highlighters and other loose school supplies organize and easy to grab when they need them without having to dig through their backpack or locker to find them.
Back to school hack #6:
If you have multiple children, you know how difficult it can be each school year to keep your kid’s paperwork for school organized, especially the paperwork that comes home with them. Whether they have papers you need to sign, homework they need to complete throughout the week, or books they need to read, make your life much more organized but using magazine organizers to allow each child to put what belongs to them for school, in their own organizer so you and them can easily access what they need for school each day. Make it fun for them by allowing them to personalize their own organizer with their name, stickers, and anything else that will encourage them to use it each day.
Back to school hack #7:
For your final back to school hack, here is another tip to make you and your family’s life easier throughout the school year as they work on projects and have homework. Take a spice rack you already have at home if you don’t use it or pick one up at the dollar store and replace the spices with jars that can hold paper clips, erasers, batteries, mini note pads, staples, and any other miscellaneous desk supplies that seem to get scattered in a junk drawer or loosely around the house and cause for chaos (or yelling for mom) when they can’t be found. This way you can easily see when you need to replace office supplies when they run low and your kids of any age can easily access what they need and know where to find it (win-win!)
These inexpensive and easy school hacks will have you ready to take on a new school year with ease and not take as big of a hit to the wallet at the same time.
Parry Custom Homes is an established homebuilder in the Pittsburgh area. Call or contact us today for more information.