School Supplies

I HATE school supply shopping! I am a bargain hunter and there are so many fantastic deals on school supplies this time of year, so one might think I'd love it, but the thought of it makes me cringe for 3 reasons.  

1) I like to be prepared.  I have always been the one to have my bag packed for vacation a month before the trip.  I think that having kids highlights this aspect of my personality since now I have to be prepared for 5 people, 6 if you count Andy, the eternal procrastinator.  (The simple resolution of just going out and getting everything is tainted by the next two reasons.)

2) I am not fast enough to get to the stores anymore.  When I see the ads in the Sunday paper, I make a list for any store that I want to go to.  In a typical week, but the time I make it out and they are either sold out of the item(s) I wanted or the sale is already over.  (The simple resolution of just going to the store early in the week is often derailed by the following.)

3) I also do not like to go out to buy just one thing.  I usually won't even run errands unless I have collected at least two stores close to each other that I need to go to.  Andy always makes fun of me for this, but I think it really saves both time and gas. Even if I were not do tired to go out by myself at night or didn't have four helpers during the day, I wouldn't be rushing out for the one one-cent items at each store each week.
 
For these reasons toppled with the fact that I want to get the best price on everything, I get stressed.  I think I have come to a resolution that bends to all of my quirks.  This morning we went to 3 stores (all within .5 miles of each other).  We got the steals at Staples and Office Depot and then went to Walmart to buy the rest of the supplies.  I saved all of my receipts so if I make it out to the stores again and get a deal, I can go once at the end and return any of the high priced items (like dry erase markers).  The inexpensive items will not be worth going back out for a few cents here and there.

Seems complicated, because it is, but it gets me through.  Maybe next year my fairy godmother will appear with a bag of school supplies and I will not have to go out at all!