The early bird gets the (book)worm, and even though thinking about the end of summer is probably the farthest thing from your mind, planning now for back to school can save you a lot of time and trouble this fall. Spread your to-do list out throughout the remaining days of summer, so you can stress less this fall. Here are three things that you shouldn’t put off until the last minute:
1) Back to School Immunizations
Are your kids due to have their shots updated before heading back to school? Schedule that appointment now. There may be a waiting list, and you want to be sure to get in before school starts because your child may not be allowed to attend until proof of immunizations is shown.
There is no federal vaccination law, but every state requires certain vaccinations for children entering public schools. Typical required vaccinations include mumps, measles, rubella, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, and polio. For college-age students, check with your doctor for information on HPV, Tdap and Meningococcal vaccines.
To streamline the process, be sure to take your child’s most recent shot record with you to the doctor’s office, and bring a letter from the school nurse if you were provided with one.
2) Back to School Major Tech Purchases
This may not be as important for younger school kids, but parents of high school and college students that need a new laptop, tablet or smartphone for the upcoming school year should not wait. Take advantage of tech deals going on now in order to save the most money. Apple, for example, gives a $100 App Store gift card when customers purchase a Mac for college, a $50 gift card when they buy an iPad, and now, for the first time, $50 for buying an iPhone. These gift card bonuses are in addition to the usual educational pricing discounts (up to $200) that they already offer.
The gift card is specifically for the App Store, not the full retail store, but it is eligible for purchases from the iBookstore, iTunes Store, and Mac App Store as well. Your student can choose from a variety of books, movies, music, and apps!
To qualify for the bonus, you need to purchase the Mac or iPad from the Apple Online Store for Education, an Apple Retail Store, or an Apple Authorized Campus Store. The iPhone must be purchased directly from Apple to qualify. You also need to be either a college student, a student accepted to college, a parent purchasing for a college student, or a faculty or staff member at an education institution.
3) Back to School School Clothes and Supplies
For some, shopping for back to school clothes can actually be the most fun part of heading back to class. Unfortunately, not finding the sizes you need or the specific uniform pieces you require can quickly turn the experience sour.
Start shopping now so your student will have the right size, and the coolest trends, for their first appearance in a new grade. Does your student wear a uniform? Use discounts now to stock up on items they will need throughout the year. For example, Sears gives you $10 off Dockers uniform purchases of $75 or more (You can double it to $20 off if you’re a Shop Your Way Rewards member).
Your student is going to need a lot of supplies to last the new school year as well. Pens, paper, notebooks, backpack – these things will inevitably get lost or broken, so it’s good to buy a lot and buy early to save money in the long run.
If you’re like most, you’ll probably forget items and have to make several trips. The Staples Back-to-School Savings Pass is an easy way to continually save until you have that backpack filled with everything your student needs. Purchase the pass for $10 anytime before Aug. 31, and then you get a 15 percent discount on supplies through Sept. 21.
This year, get started early! By crossing off your back-to-school checklist this summer, the only ones in your family that will be stressed about heading back to the classroom will be your kids.
