Friday, August 3, 2018

BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLIES - AGAIN

First, my apologies - somehow I forgot last night to write and post to you.  I had finished the yearbook (next year meeting program guide) for my embroidery guild chapter and on Tuesday I had taken it to be printed - yesterday (Wednesday) we picked it up and in the evening when I normally would be writing and posting to you, I stapled, labeled, and stuck stamps on the yearbooks to be mailed out today.  Somehow my mind then wandered off and I never did get back to writing and posting.  So I am doing it today. 

Last year I wrote about back to school supplies - http://wheredidileavethat.blogspot.com/2017/08/this-week-back-to-bit-more-normal.html

Today is more about back to school supplies.  As I wrote last year, even as a child I loved office supplies and back to school was actually fun for me - the promise of a blank notebook, not scribbled on or in was the promise to me of a year that I would stay organized and all assignments would be done ahead of when they were due.  This, of course, was never true for me or I would not be writing this blog.

As I mentioned last year this is the time of year to buy supplies that might be needed as they are discounted.  Do you have pens and pencils in your house that you can find?  If not this is the time to get them - and a box to keep them in.  The same with basics such as scissors and tape.  Good time to find plastic boxes, crates, and file storage boxes.

Growing up I thought everyone went to back to school the Wednesday after Labor Day unless they lived in New York City - since NYC rarely needed a snow day (subways always ran until more recent years when even they had to close sometimes for weather) so the schools in NYC started on the Monday, a week after Labor Day as the did not need to have the 3 snow days the rest of had built into their schedule.  I have in recent years learned that schools around the country start and end on all different schedules.  (Around here schools close at the June.)  Some school districts close for a 2 month vacation -some for a 3 month vacation.  Even around here there is now a movement to start schools earlier - in some districts even before Labor Day (although many districts have union agreements against same).  The local change is the result of adding holy days of additional religions as days off during the year and the need to make up those days in the calendar. 

But right now is the time for school supplies.  I wanted to add this second posting about school supplies as there are some that people (as least old timers such as me) do not think of as back to school items.

Electronics.  Laptops, tablets, and so on.  Stores are running sales now on these for back to school.  I was reminded of this as my husband has for some time (years) been pushing me to replace this laptop - to say it is not new is an understatement, you know those stickers on the laptops that show what version of what is included in it - well, the newest copyright on any of them on this laptop is 2004 - that make it around 14 years old, and yes, it still runs Windows XP.  It was my work laptop when it was new.  I bought a newer work laptop since then and rather than toss this one, it became my kitchen computer - where I go online at night and write and post my blog.  It still works - mostly.  Some websites are too fast for it and therefore run very slowly on the computer.  But for most things it is fine.  Husband has been pushing me to get a new laptop.  My desktop - main - computer is Windows 7 and not all of my software runs on it - it is even harder to get me to get new software.  I tried using his laptop which is Windows 10 and I was not happy with it - and probably even more software will not run.  He has been showing me back to school ads for laptops and pushing “Look what great prices they are.”  I start to think what a great idea - that website that takes sooooo long to open will work quicker, but I know it is hard for me to switch and it will involve screaming and yelling - on both our sides.  (Husband is a dear and puts up with my wanting everything to remain the same and be able to use my old software and goes to great lengths to “make it so” but even he cannot do magic.)  So, it reminded me to mention it to all of you.  Now, don’t run out and buy a new computer just because they are on sale - but if you have been thinking of getting one - it is a good time save a few bucks.

Another school supply that I don’t think of as being one is casual furniture.  Back to school includes going to college and stores that carry casual furniture - small pieces for storage and the like - are having sales and also have a larger choice of them in stock.  Shelving units, small file cabinets, the doored cabinets with shelves in them are readily available now.

Of course clothing including shoes for adults (remember back to college) as well as children, of course, are in stock now. 

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK -

While one should not go out buying items willy nilly and only buy what one actually needs, if one is need of office supplies, clothing, electronics, casual furniture, etc. now is the time to look for bargains. 

Obviously one should not buy stuff just because it is on sale - that just adds to the clutter and having too much stuff, but if items are needed it is always best to buy them during the time they are on sale.

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