Stocking Up

I love Back-To-School time! There are so many great sales going on that it's hard not to stock up on some of the basic supplies. This is the time of year that I will stock up on everything from glue, glue sticks, colored pencils, card stock and printer paper to organizational supplies and seasonal items.

It seems every store has a sale and that is the best time to shop. It seems we are all on budgets these days, some tighter than others. With two teenage boys, my budget stays pretty tight - as my mother-in-law would say, I turn a nickel three times before I decide to spend it! I know it's rough out there. That's why I love sales!

These next few months is generally when I will stock up on everything I might need for projects next year. I look for material in bright spring and summer colors and prints - fabric stores want room for the seasonal tones and patterns of fall and winter. I stock up on scrapbook papers that are marked down to $0.10 for 12"x12" sheet. I watch for the summer themed beads to go on clearance, along with any other summer-themed items that can be used. I think about some of the new things I want to try and start gathering supplies. (I tend to shy away from the fads though - I don't want to spend the money on the supplies and then not be able to sell what I make.)

This is also the time I start thinking about Christmas gifts. My mother loves lighthouses and ocean themes - things that can get difficult to find in the winter months. I start making lists of what I might want to do, and then watch the sales to see what will be least expensive to make. I have a large family to make things for, I need to do it cheap!

Of course, I am a power shopper year round - shopping the sales, clearance aisles and discount stores for supplies. This is how I've accumulated my stash of supplies, my inventory of goodies to create with. Thanks to this time of year, I will usually have what I need (or most of what I need) on hand before I begin my project!

Happy Crafting (and shopping) All!