What Do Rotten Produce and School Shopping Have in Common?

I'm sure you've seen that Staples commercial with the joyous parents, leaping around the store to the tune of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year", haven't you?  Summer is nice and all, but getting back to our regularly scheduled programs is a huge relief.

But, with the end of summer comes back-to-school shopping (THE HORROR!).  Well, no need to freak out.  If you've been trying to live more frugally (like I have), just think of this like grocery shopping:

• It's okay to buy necessities now.  Some schools are on top of it and send home school supply lists along with end of year grades, but many wait until school starts.  Either way, you know certain things like backpacks and lunchboxes are essential.  So, don't wait until they're picked over or cleared out on the first day of school. 
  
  (FYI: Thirty-One Gifts is having a great 15% off everything sale until the end of August.  It would be a great time to buy one of the cute new backpacks, lunch totes, pencil pouches, or organizing products to get students, parents, and teachers ready for the new year!)

  

  Save 15% off All Items (Sale ends August 31st)

• Stock up on staples while they're on sale.  They won't go bad.  Every week leading up to the start of school, different stores will have crazy sales on some items. 
• Don't drive yourself bonkers trying to go to every store, and don't fall for the trap of going in for the sale and then paying full price for the other items on your list.  Just pick 1 or 2 stores and load up on their weekly deal items. If notebook paper is 25 cents a pack, stock up so you won't find yourself paying full-price mid-year. 
• Many stores (like Staples, Office Max, and Office Depot) have price-matching policies, so if there's a sale on a name-brand item, bring your circular and save money, time, and gas.
• If you get a few items each week for the next 3 weeks, you'll find your list complete in no time!
• Don't buy your kid's whole fall wardrobe now.  In most areas of the country, your child won't need that wool skirt or those sweater vests for at least another month.  Buy a few transitions pieces to layer over their summer clothes, then pick up those cute fall outfits when they go on sale at the end of September.

For more great tips, pick up the August 26th issue of All You magazine or check out their website.

Train Up a Child

"Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)

We have a household filled with ADD tendencies, so it's no surprise that our house is usually less than immaculate.  That said, we've been making an effort to be more consistent about having our 6 year-old daughter take responsibility for certain age-appropriate chores. 

To encourage this, we've hung a chore chart in her room.  We tried using it many months ago, but when it was on my husband and I to be responsible, her task completion was seriously lacking.  Lately however, my husband upped the weekly goal, and she's been on top of things, exceeding that goal by competing against herself.

I'm not sure if it's a matter of her being more mature or us setting a challenging goal, but whatever the case, I'm certainly happy to see her becoming more responsible and independent.  Do you have any tips for how to get the whole family involved in keeping the house clean?  I'd love to hear them.  Please, leave a comment!