We are quickly coming up on public schools being back in session, and while we homeschool it’s still a good time for us to take advantage of a few key things to keep our children ready. School supply sales are one of those.
A big part of running our families efficiently is budgeting. School supplies and clothing add an expense that can strain our budgets during a single part of the year if we let it.
Instead of adding that financial stress, creating a small monthly budget for supplies keeps it smoother. In our house, I have a Misc Expenses line item in the budget. Inside is money set aside for schooling, clothing, and other homestead essentials.
By spreading these purchases in our budget over 12 months, I am less concerned about blowing my budget in September when the key school supplies like paper and colored pencils are on sale.
Another part of back to school involves being around other children. Even homeschool families tend to encounter this issue with co-op activities starting again in the fall, the likelihood of sickness passing through our family increases with people and cooling weather.
Now is the time to start increasing Vitamin D intake from other sources as the days get shorter and we spend less time outdoors. Ensuring we have an ample supply of herbal teas and our natural medicine cupboard is full is key to avoiding what feels like never-ending sickness looping around the kids.
Thankfully, these items also live in our planned monthly budget under Non-Food Essentials.
The last preparedness area our kids should be ready for as they head back to school (or spend more time at the kitchen table) is their own personal EDC kit. Schooling is not just about teaching book skills, but rather preparing them for life.
An everyday carry kit gives them the tools to solve micro problems on their own. They can feel safer being out with friends or going to a soccer game. If they get injured, the EDC kit has the simple supplies for them to patch it up. And when they are away from home, it has the emergency information and tools to get them home should the worst happen.
If you need help setting up EDC kits for your kids, including school-safe suggestions, check out our guide on creating kid-friendly personal everyday carry kits here.
Back to school doesn’t mean preparedness has to fall by the wayside. It also shouldn’t be a massive speed bump on the road throwing our budget or health into chaos.
Preparedness is not just the food on the shelf, but the everyday choices we make to save money, gather supplies, and learn skills to keep us safe always.