As a teacher, I (Litsa) love school supplies and the excitement of new crayons, pens, paper, backpacks and more!?! However, as a stay at home mom for that past six years, I have learned that eliminating the excess STUFF is a big plus for the family budget!?!
We only have one child at home. She’s almost six and ready for Kindergarten but does she REALLY need a new backpack!?! For the first year of preschool, we found a toddler backpack for $3 that we had monogrammed for FREE (from a friend). It is still in fabulous shape! Then, two years ago our daughter received another full size/school size backpack monogrammed with her name on it for four year old preschool….and five year old preschool! Nothing is wrong with that backpack—no stains, no tears!?! Thus, at the end of this preschool season, I washed it and hung it in our daughter’s closet for Kindergarten.
The backpack will be reused until it needs to be replaced. Reusing the backpack will allow us to extend our back-to-school budget. Additionally, it will teach our daughter that being frugal and using what we already have (especially when it is still almost new) is the smart choice economically—and environmentally friendly. These conversations will instill life lessons in our daughter and remind her that we do what is best for our family rather than “trying to keep up with the Jones”. This decision will also buy us time to wait out a sale for a backpack at rock bottom prices that can be bought for future use—-and/or be bought as a Christmas or birthday gift!?!
What about you? Do you reuse backpacks and/or other school supplies if they are in tip-top shape for the upcoming school year?
Photo Credit Backpacks Potterybarn Kids Facebook
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