Gearing up for learning
As summer vacation winds down, thousands of parents of school-age children will once again be braving the back-to-school shopping frenzy. About 66 percent of parents feel the experience is time-consuming or stressful.By Zenaida Serrano Photos by Jeff Widener | The Honolulu Advertiser Take inventory of what you already have, and develop a budget for what you still need. List each item in priority, from most important to least important. By having a prioritized, budgeted shopping list, it can be trimmed easily by cutting from the bottom.
Compare prices. If a store five miles away is offering low prices on backpacks, it may be worth the drive. Buy basics in quantity when they are on sale. Check as many newspaper advertisements and catalogs as possible before you make your purchases.
Before you run to the "Back To School" section at an expensive retailer, compare prices with discount outlets and office-supply stores.
Shopping for school supplies also gives parents a chance to teach their kids about spending habits. Sit down with your children and set a budget. Then let them do the comparison shopping, pointing out that if they get the expensive calculator, for example, they have to cut back in other areas. The result: They learn about smart shopping and place more value on what you buy for them.
The most important strategy: Stick to the budget you set. Bring only as much cash as you need, based on your budget, and leave your credit cards at home.
As summer vacation winds down, Medina and thousands of other parents of school-age children will once again be braving the back-to-school shopping frenzy. About 66 percent of parents feel the experience is time-consuming or stressful, according to a national online survey conducted by Harris Interactive, a market research firm.
The same survey showed 61 percent of parents cited one of their biggest challenges is staying within their budgets. Also, 15 percent cited not being able to find the brands their children want.
It doesn't have to be a dreadful ordeal, said Edward Parsons, assistant manager of sales at Hopaco/OfficeMax in Honolulu.
Each year stores come out with selections aimed at pleasing students things like brightly-colored composition books and at prices that please parents, too.
"We listen to what customers want, and basically that's value," Parsons said.
But don't get carried away with buying fancy designer products, such as glittery glue and fragrant colored markers, said Karen Denny, a first-grade teacher at a Honolulu public school. "They can be too distracting in class," she said.
Make basic supplies a priority, Denny said. "Composition books, pencils and erasers there are never enough of those," she said.
We checked with parents and educators, and asked store managers at popular back-to-school retailers Office Depot, Hopaco/OfficeMax and Wal-Mart for their recommendations on quality, low-cost must-haves. These items are sure to please students without breaking the family budget.
FOR THE KIDDIES
Advertiser Staff Writer
With children in preschool, elementary school, middle school and high school, Flo Medina of Pearl City has tackled back-to-school shopping often enough to develop a successful strategy: She searches advertisements for the best deals, buys quality brands her children will like, and most importantly, sticks to a budget. "I have four kids, so when you add everything up, it gets expensive," said the 35-year-old mom.
This rolling backpack is a student's best friend when it comes to lugging around heavy textbooks.
BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT THE DOOR ...
Elementary school supplies
Middle school supplies
High school supplies
TOO COOL FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL
GOTTA-HAVES FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS
Prices are subject to change. Call stores for details.