Back to School Shopping Essentials

WESTLAND, Mich.,–– As summer is coming to an end, it's the perfect time to prepare your kids with the items they will need when they head back to school. Students around the world dread this time, but one of the best ways to take away the misery of going back to school is with some fun back-to-school shopping! We've put together a list of back to school shopping essentials that you can use as a checklist to make sure you and your children don't miss anything they may need for class. Whether they're attending elementary, middle, or high school, we've got every category covered so your kids are prepared and ready to go this school year!

Elementary School

Elementary school is the first time kids really get to pick out their own supplies. From notebooks to folders, the chance to allow your children to express themselves really starts to shine at this point in time. Keeping a checklist is helpful, but don't forget to let them pick out the designs and styles that they'd like, since they're the ones who have to live with the purchase afterwards! These are some important items that every elementary schooler will need at one point or another:

• A box of 16, 32, or 64 crayons
• 1 backpack large enough to fit folders, lunch, and notebooks
• 1 pencil case to hold pens, pencils, and colored pencils
• 1 box of 10 pencils
• Pocket tissue packs (especially during cold and flu season)
• 1 small pencil sharpener
• Hand sanitizer or hand wipes to prevent the spread of germs
• Glue sticks or 8oz bottle of glue
• 4 folders, one per each subject
• 1-2 notebooks, ruled

Middle School

Middle schoolers are a little tougher to shop for. With more work to do and less time for fun, keeping your middle schooler organized is a priority. Our list covers some organizational items that can help them keep their lockers, backpacks, and workspaces neat. At some point or another, every middle schooler will need these items:

• An agenda to keep due dates in mind
• 1 binder per school subject
• Binder dividers to organize tests, homework, notes, etc.
• Loose-leaf paper
• USB drive to save work from computers at home/school
• Backpack
• Highlighters in multiple colors
• Magnetic pencil holder for locker
• Pencils, pens, and other writing utensils
• Mini stapler

High School

By now, shopping for school should be a breeze! You've done it for your kids in elementary and middle school, so high school shouldn't be too bad, right? Letting your high schoolers have full control with choosing their supplies will give them more independence and help them remain organized on their own. However, it never hurts to double check what they picked out before checkout, just in case they miss something! Make sure that your high schooler has all of these supplies:

• Calculator or graphing calculator, if needed
• Agenda or planner for organization
• USB drive and backup flash drive
• Loose leaf paper: college-ruled or wide-ruled
• 2 packs of No. 2 pencils or mechanical pencils, if allowed
• 1 binder per subject, binder dividers
• 1 folder per subject for handouts, homework
• Backpack
• Three-hole punch for organization
• Index cards, ruled and unruled for flashcards

Additional Items to Have on Hand

Whether you have elementary, middle, or high schoolers, it can never hurt to have these extra supplies. You never know when you'll need them!

• 2-3 poster boards for presentations
• Extra printer ink
• Locker accessories (pencil holders, mirror, magnets, etc.)
• Portable stapler
• Combination locks for gym classes, locker rooms
• Rubber bands
• Thumb tacks
• Paper clips
• Sticky notes
• Binder clips

Buying school supplies can be made fun with an easy-to-follow checklist! You'll be able to keep your children organized and teach them the value of planning ahead. Plus, with a comprehensive list and prior planning, you'll be able to beat the back to school crowds so that you get the best deals. Use our list of back to school shopping essentials to prepare your kids of any age for school this year! Before school begins again, take a look at our Summer Sales Event to find a new vehicle that has 0% APR for 72 months! If you're heading out to dinner before the end of the summer, check off a few restaurants on our Westland restaurant bucket list! 

North Brothers Ford is located at 33300 Ford Rd Westland, MI 48185 and proudly serves as one of the premier dealerships in Metro Detroit, and is committed to exceptional customer service! Stop by or give us a call at 888-806-7163, our knowledgeable and helpful sales team will be more than happy to assist you!

Visit our website: http://www.northbrosford.net

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9 Ways To Save Big on Back-To-School Shopping

WESTLAND, Mich. - It's that time of year again when the kids return to school while the parents face the stress of ensuring their children have everything they need. Between new clothes, supplies, goodies for school lunches and more, back-to-school shopping can get very expensive, very quickly. To help alleviate some of your stress and help you save a few bucks, here are 9 ways to save big on back-to-school shopping.

1. Wait until you receive the school supply list. Many parents want to get the shopping done as quickly as possible, so they will go out and buy whatever they think their child may need - this is the easiest way to overspend. A lot of schools/teachers will supply the students with specific supplies, meaning it's a supply you won't have to purchase. If you wait until you receive the school supply list, you'll be able to get exactly what your child needs without overspending on things they don't.
2. Make a budget. Know exactly how much you have to spend on supplies and stick with it. If you find that you're going over your budget, try to eliminate supplies that your child may not need right away/may not need at all.
3. If you're buying books, buy them online. Books can get expensive very quickly - especially if you're buying college textbooks. By using websites such as Half.com, Amazon.com or CheapestTextbooks.com, you can get used books at half the cost.
4. Don't rush to buy supplies! Most Americans stock up on supplies the minute they are put on the shelf. If you can, wait until after Labor Day - everything will go on sale. So stock up on what your kids will need the first day but hold off on items they may not need until later.
5. Use coupons! Don't be afraid to peruse the newspapers and clip, clip, clip. You can save a ton with coupons, especially during the back-to-school season. You can also find coupons on sites such as RetailMeNot.com and CouponCabin.com.
6. Price match. Stores like Target are more than willing to price match. So whether you find a supply cheaper on Amazon or at Walmart, bring proof of the price in and have them match it.
7. Social Media is a great tool. Many stores will try to attract more fans and followers, so they will offer deals that are exclusive to their Facebook/Twitter pages. So find your favorite stores and 'like' them!
8. Communicate with parents in the community. Other parents may have gently used supplies and/or clothes, or even items that are brand new! They might be willing to swap for items that you have, or maybe sell them to you at a cheap price. It never hurts to look!
9. Shop for next year's supplies, THIS year. After the rush to buy back-to-school supplies has died down, stores will  reduce the price of supplies significantly. This is a great time to swoop in and pick up supplies that you know your kids will need next year.

We hope that these 9 ways to save big on back-to-school shopping will help you financially during this time of year - having the kids go back-to-school can sometimes be stressful, so your finances shouldn't have to be. We can also help you save a few dollars on a New Ford Car or Certified Pre-Owned Cars For Sale at our Northville Area Ford Dealer. Our knowledgeable sales staff knows exactly how to help you save big with rebates and employee pricing - so stop by today! 

North Brothers Ford, located at 33300 Ford Rd Westland, MI 48185, is proud to be one of the premier dealerships in Southeast Michigan committed to exceptional customer service! Stop by or give us a call at (888) 806-7163, our knowledgeable sales team will be happy to help!

Visit our website: www.northbros.com
Follow us on: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+