Destin Commons Back to School Release

With the rising cost of gas and the back to school sales tax holiday not taking place this year, families will be looking for the locations that have it all. What will people be looking for? Hot trends, basic necessities, one stop shops, convenient locations and great deals.

Every child wants to express their own personal style when they go back to school and parents are left to figure out how to get the style and the necessities all rolled up into one. How should you begin your back to school shopping? Some basic tips we have found most helpful.

Know Before You Go

It is always best to take an inventory of what you currently have as it will determine best what you will need to begin the year. The best way to keep track and stay focused with this – write it down, make a list and check it twice! While making your list consider sports or activities that your child may be involved with that have uniform requirements, school dress codes so you don’t purchases items that can’t be worn during school days and how fast your child is growing so you don’t purchase clothing that has a limited shelf life.

Areas of consideration:

Did you buy something over the summer that still fits and can be worn the beginning of the school year? Did one of your older children grow out of something that your younger child can wear? All great things to consider that may help identify what you need to buy this year. Don’t forget to take a look at the items that still fit but may need to be replaced because they have been stained , now have holes or pieces that may have been ‘lost’ in the dryer.

The Early Bird Gets the Worm…and the Sale

Shop early and save. Who says you have to wait to shop for back to school the weekend before with everyone else? There are many things that you can purchase ahead of time – t-shirts, dresses, jeans, underwear, socks and more – and with enough time spent shopping, find the best deals. Many stores offer bounce back offers with purchases like Limited Too’s ‘Too Bucks’ promotion in which you receive cards with a specific dollar value (based on what you spend) that can be brought back at a future date for redemption. Save now and save later!

Join Efforts

You don’t need to wait until your child gets into the classroom to begin the learning process. Involve your children in the back to school process by creating a budget together. Use the items you have identified to then target stores you will visit and target amounts you look at spending on each item. During this process, let your children identify a couple of items that they really want for this season. This will allow both you and your children to get exactly what is wanted, teach children about budgeting and get the school season off to a great, less stressful, start!