Back to School Shopping Nightmare!

Are you the sort of parent who plans ahead?

By the end of July do you have all the books, school supplies and uniforms that your child needs in order to start school in September?

If so, that is excellent as you have avoided the stress that comes when you wait until the last minute to purchase those items.

The last minute shopper who waits the weekend before school to shop will run into many difficulties.

Last Minute Deals

Some shoppers might argue that by waiting the last minute they are able to get back to school deals.

However in many cases, those deals are disguised attempts by store owners to get rid of extra stock that often did not sell in the first rush of shoppers earlier in the summer. Often the sizes are limited or the items are slightly damaged.

So you might not be getting such a great deal as you might think!

Another problem with waiting until the last minute is that the item that you need can be out of stock. Some specialty items, such as small igloos, are in demand as they are used by so many types of students and so might sell out quickly.

Books can be out of stock as well and stores may not have ordered enough of a particular book so the limited copies were sold before you got to the store.

Besides limited quantity, often the heavy volume of shoppers in the stores can prove to be annoyance.

Crowded Stores

At one store I visited, the lines had wound around the corner and persons were taking up all the available room within the aisle so it felt quite cramped and uncomfortable.

Finding available parking spots at the local malls in Kingston on a weekend is normally challenging, however on the back to school weekend it was a nightmare!

Cars circled the parking lot constantly until drivers became frustrated and parked illegally in front of other parked cars.

The ones who took full advantage of the last minute shoppers were the vendors with their carts on the side of the streets.  They offered the same items that were in stores for a reduced price.

It is important to note though, that it is a risk to purchase items from them since if the item is defective or the wrong size, it would be difficult to get an exchange or refund.

All things considered, it is best to purchase back to school items  before the rush.

This means throughout the year putting some money down for back to school expenses so that they can be bought early.  It is also best to make the most of any back to school specials that are usually offered early in the summer.

So what’s your view? Do you have everything your child needs for school?

Teri Ann Renee Paisley

Gleaner online writer

Tags: back to school costs