Let’s face it. After a summer of buying swimsuits, summer clothes and all the food for your backyard barbecue, thinking about spending even more money is enough to make you cringe. But whether we like it or not, back to school comes around this time every single year.

With more than 29 million households in America having school-aged children, from kindergarten through high school seniors, you can imagine that the back-to-school spending season is a big one. Not only that, over 50% of your kid’s school year supplies are purchased before school even starts.

Backpacks First:

Backpack styles change yearly. Over the past several years, we have had messenger bags, and rolling backpacks gain in popularity then disappear. There are positives and negatives to each of these, though. With a rolling backpack, the idea was to take the load of children’s backs, which were resulting in back and spinal injuries. However, the rolling backpacks are not allowed now in some schools as they are seen as luggage. So, make sure to read your school’s policies first.

Here are some great backpacks that are currently hot right now:

I am a little bit bias on my backpacks because I love my JanSport ones and my Herschel one. They get a lot of abuse and withstood the test of time. My JanSport one must be over ten years old. I used it for a diaper bag after school, and now I use it for overnight trips. My Herschel is the smaller version, and it is two years old. It has no stains or defects and still looks brand new.

Fill your backpack and save!

Wait to fill your backpack and save on sales tax by waiting till the tax-free weekend for your state. It would be the best time to purchase school supplies, clothing, and even computers – all while paying no sales tax. The following states are participating in a tax-free weekend for 2019.

State	Dates
Alabama	July 19-21
Arkansas	August 3-4
Connecticut	August 18-24
Florida	August 2-6
Iowa	August 2-3
Maryland	August 11-17
Massachusetts	August 17-18
Mississippi	July 26-27
Missouri	August 2-4
New Mexico	August 2-4
Ohio	August 2-4
Oklahoma	August 2-4
South Carolina	August 2-4
Tennessee	July 26-28
Texas	August 9-11
Virginia	August 2-4
Washington	No Tax Holiday in 2019

Necessities for your backpack

1. Water Bottle
2. Chapstick
3. Hand Sanitizer
4. Kleenex Tissues
5. Calculator
6. Granola Bar (Backup nutrition)

Common Back to School Supplies:

1. Plastic folders
2. Five-star Notebooks or Composition notebooks
3. 3-ring Binders
4. Planner
5. Erasers
6. Index cards
7. White Printer Paper
8. Lined Notebook Paper
9. Post-its
10. Pencil pouch
    1. Pencils
    2. Highlighters
    3. Pens
    4. Dry Erase Markers (White Board)
    5. Crayons
11. Scissors
12. Glue
13. Whiteout – EZ Correction Tape
14. Lunchboxes

Click Here to shop for more Back to School Essentials such as locker items and clothes.

Girls Emergency Kit:

1. Pads/Tampons
2. Midol or Tylenol
3. Band-Aids
4. Feminine wipes
5. Travel Size Deodorant
6. Tide to-go pen
7. Hair ties/bobby pins
8. Travel-sized lotion

Still, looking for more items for back to school?

I would check out my post for Easy Ideas for School Lunches. It will make it quick and easy for you in the morning while giving your child the necessary nutrition to learn. It covers sandwiches, snacks, and the best lunch boxes around.

I hope you have a wonderful school year, everyone!