Sanity Saving Back-to-School Tips

Twelve smart things to take care of now, so you're not scrambling later!

The following suggestions are ways you can do a little prep work now to avoid last-minute chaos later. Follow these sanity-savings tips to make going back-to-school a breeze! Trust us, you'll thank us later.

Schedule It Now!

Preventive/Maintenance Appointments: The more you can keep your schedule clear during the school year the better. Before school starts—or even during holiday breaks—is a good time to get appointments such as annual physicals, visits to the dentist, and oil changes crossed off your list.
Ongoing Appointments: Although getting your baby's picture taken, hair appointments, and monthly allergy shots are ongoing events you can still benefit from scheduling these months in advance. You will have more options for appointment times and working them into your schedule (instead of the other way around) allows for better time management.

Stock Up Now!

Cards, Stationery, Stamps: Make a list of all cards (birthday, anniversary, holiday, etc.) that you'll need for the next few months and purchase them all at once at a discount store. While you're at it, stock up on a roll of stamps, basic stationary and thank you notes. You'll be ahead of the game when it comes to corresponding with family and friends and you can avoid the expensive $3.99 grocery store cards.
Paper Products, Cleaning Supplies, Prepackaged Snacks: Hit the bulk food warehouses to save time, money and your sanity. By stocking up on essentials like toilet paper, laundry detergent, and snacks, you can eliminate some late-night trips to the grocery store.
Dollar Bills: School-aged children always end up needing a few dollars for field trips, class parties, etc. Get a stack of crisp dollar bills from the bank now and avoid last-minute trips to the bank later.
Brownie or Cookie Mix: Did your child just inform you of the dozen cookies needed for tomorrow's bake sale? Did you forget about Friday's potluck at work? No problem! Why? Because you're stocked up on brownie and cookie mix. It's easier than baking from scratch and cheaper than ready-made. You can whip these up and get back to studying in a matter of minutes.

Sign Up Now!

Drop-Off Child care: Even the best child care arrangements can run into a snag. The drop-off child care centers popping up across the country can be a great solution. These centers offer extended evening and weekend hours and provide the same amenities as day care centers. If you find that you need a few hours of last-minute child care, you can simply drop your children off and pay the hourly rate. The only kicker is that you have to be registered, which is a simple process of filling out the necessary forms. Since you may need your doctor's signature to verify that your child is up to date on vaccinations, taking care of this now ensures you can use this valuable service when needed.
Direct Deposit: With many Americans living paycheck to paycheck, getting that check in the bank as soon as it's received is essential. You can eliminate this vital errand by signing up for direct deposit if your company offers it.
Automatic Bill Payment: Forgetting to pay a bill can be very stressful and expensive. Thankfully today's technology makes paying bills on time easier than ever. Many banks offer a service which allows you to draft payments for recurring bills directly from your checking account. Another option is to set up automatic payments. Most utilities and creditors allow you to enroll in a service where they initiate the payment for you. You never have to worry about missing a due date and if you elect to go paperless you have less mail to contend with. A third option is to sign up for online banking for all of your bills. You can pay the bill at their Web site and never have to worry about stamps and the lag time with postal mail.

Set Me Up Now!

Master Lists: There is no need to reinvent the wheel each week. Printing off master lists stored on your computer is a great way to keep everything running smoothly at home. Sample lists include a grocery shopping list (here's one you can use: Grocery List.doc), a list of snack and lunch items, an up-to-date phone list, and checklists corresponding with all everyone's activities and schedules.
Mobile Office: Setting up a mobile office is a great way to take advantage of those little snippets of time that work their way into your day. Are you anticipating a lengthy stay in your doctor's waiting room? Having essential supplies and school materials can help you get a head start on tonight's homework. Are you headed off to your son's soccer practice? Grab your mobile office and study while you wait.
Cleaning System: A messy house can stress everyone out! By breaking all cleaning duties into smaller tasks and assigning them to different family members this can become a joint effort. A few five-minute projects throughout the day won't seem like much work to each person, but collectively this can make your house sparkle!