It seemed awfully early for school supply shopping- and there's a reason for that. Our school district is slowly transitioning to a balanced calendar year that will eventually have only a six week summer break and several two week breaks throughout the school year. Apparently, the amount of days attended are the same as before, when I was growing up, but the spacing is different. Where we used to go back to school at the end of August or beginning of September, the start date this year was August 6th.
Off I went, armed with my lists, determined to find everything I'd need for both kids in both grades, and to find it at either an independent or local venue. Anyone who's done this before knows that you have eleventy seven of each item to buy: multiple pencils, notebooks, folders, composition notebooks, eraser caps, and all sorts of other various needs and wants (in multiples of ten), presumably to balance out the children who aren't able to or won't get school supplies. I take no issue with this at all from a financial standpoint. I want every kid to have what he or she is going to need to succeed.
However, let's look at the reality of our independent businesses. Quite simply, they just can't keep the kind of stock in hand to support that kind of demand.
My first stop was our local, indie parent teacher supply store...which was more geared towards the teachers and not the parents. Mind you, I don't expect the vast quantity of supplies that say, WalMart or Target would carry; but, I was slightly disappointed to find at most three or four of each kind of notebook, and absolutely no loose leaf paper. None. But, hey, ok, maybe their supplies were running a bit late- I'll give them that, and I'd go back there because they have so much darn FUN stuff.
I got somewhere around 50%-60% of my lists covered there.
You know the parts in cartoons where people get the light bulb over their head? I had that happen as I was walking out of the parent teacher store. I was determined that Ben Franklin would have further supplies.
Ben Franklin is an interesting locally owned business. At one time, they were a franchise; but a bit of an odd one in that some of their locations were and are craft stores, while others were five and dimes, and even pharmacies. The parent company that owned the franchise went bankrupt in 1997, which left another company to pick up the pieces, but stores retained local ownership. After talking with the owner here, I found out that they're wholly independent.
At Ben Franklin, I got the random idea of getting blank pencil boxes and letting the kids choose their own scrapbook supplies to decorate them as they wanted. I rarely have a flash of brilliance, so I'm going to have to call this one out as genius. They loved the idea, and it channeled their inner creative spirit...or something.
Anyway, I visited two or three independent drug stores and an independent grocer about fifteen minutes away, and secured all but two composition books and 30 pencils. All in all, it was a win.
Believe it or not, I spent less than in past years- and I think it all comes down to the fact that there is not the same opportunity to impulse buy. I said early and often that I'm a huge impulse buyer (as most of us are)- so this was a nice surprise, despite the epic quest of securing all items.
The stuff I couldn't find I talked with the teachers and explained my mission, and that as all of the places restocked I'd hit them again throughout the year to bring in the missing items. Both were supportive and enthusiastic, and had no problem with that.
I'm extremely proud of the fact that I still haven't had to break the rules yet, though I know the day is coming. I do find myself wondering what that item will be.
