September 2nd is getting closer, which means we are slowly getting ready for my daughter’s first year of school. Back to school on a single income has meant taking our time, watching our spending and thinking about what my daughter really needs. After talking about the change from daycare to school in my previous post, I thought it was time to share what we have actually bought so far.
Getting ready for school can feel like a lot. There are lists everywhere telling parents what their children need, along with new clothes, shoes, lunch supplies and school items to think about.
For us, back to school on a single income has meant taking our time and thinking about what my daughter really needs.
I also want to point out that I don’t have a full school supply list yet. As far as I know, her first year will be a lot like daycare, so I don’t want to buy things she may not even use.
Instead, we have started with the basics.
Shopping for school on a single income
I don’t think you need to buy everything for school in one shopping trip.
For us, spreading the spending out has made getting ready for school feel much easier. Rather than having one large bill, we have picked up things over time.
We have also been quite careful about what we buy. I haven’t felt the need to purchase something just because it is being advertised as a back-to-school essential.
That has been one of the biggest lessons for me.
When you’re shopping on a single income, it makes sense to stop and ask whether your child actually needs something before buying it.
In our case, I would rather wait until I know what the school requires than spend money on supplies that sit at home unused.
Our Amazon school set
The biggest purchase we have made so far was a school set from Amazon.
It cost around $140 and included several of the main things my daughter will need:
- Backpack
- Lunchbox
- Bento box
- Drink thermos
- Cutlery
We had actually seen the set on social media before buying it. Once we looked at it more closely, it seemed like a good option for us.
The backpack was one of the things that caught my eye first.
It is a light green colour with happy dogs on it, which I thought was really cute. I also liked that the backpack came as part of the set.
The light colour doesn’t bother me either. Yes, I’m sure it will get dirty eventually, but that isn’t something I’m too worried about.
I wanted something that looked nice while still being practical for a young child.
A lunch setup she can use herself
The lunchbox, bento box, thermos and cutlery all came with the set, which made things much easier.
One of the things I liked about the bento box was the separate compartments. I think these will be useful when packing different foods for my daughter.
The lid also has an easy clip, which is important to me because I want her to be able to open it herself.
There isn’t much point in having a lovely lunch container if she can’t manage it at school.
We have already tried everything out at home, which I also mentioned in my previous post. It was nice to see her getting used to her new things before school starts.
I think having a lunch setup that she can manage on her own will make both of us feel a little more comfortable.
It should also make packing her lunch easier for me each morning.
The school clothes
Along with the practical items, we have also bought some new clothes for school.
I bought five dresses for her.
I have to say, I think they are quite stylish. Some of them have colours and designs that remind me a little of the Ralph Lauren style.
They aren’t just clothes that she will wear to school either. I chose pieces that she can wear outside of school too.
I like buying clothes that have more than one purpose. If she can wear something to school, out for lunch or while visiting family, it feels like a better use of our money.
I’m not trying to create a huge school wardrobe for her. She is a young child, and I know she will still get messy and dirty.
I just wanted a few new outfits that made her feel ready for this new stage.
We are still choosing her shoes
Shoes are one thing we haven’t completely decided on yet.
At the moment, I’m thinking about getting her another pair of slip-on shoes similar to the ones she already wears.
I like slip-on shoes for her because they are easy for her to put on herself.
We are also waiting to find out whether she will need a separate pair of indoor shoes for school.
This is another example of why I’m trying not to buy everything at once.
If the school tells us she needs something specific, we can get it then.
What I haven’t bought
This is probably the most important part of my back-to-school shopping list.
I haven’t gone out and bought a pile of pencils, crayons, notebooks, glue or other classroom supplies.
And I’m okay with that.
At this point, I don’t know that she needs them.
I expect her first year of school to continue some of the routines she already had at daycare. I also haven’t been given a traditional school supply list.
Instead, we were given information about getting her ready for school, including making sure her belongings are labelled.
That is something we already had covered.
Using what we already had
We already had labels from when my daughter was at daycare.
I bought stickers from Amazon at the time, and they have been useful again for school.
I’ve labelled her belongings, including her lunch items and other things that will be going with her.
This is another small way that we have avoided buying something new when we already had something that worked.
I think this is worth remembering when you’re preparing your child for school.
Before buying something new, have a look around the house.
You may already have something that can do the job.
Amazon and Temu shopping
Most of our school shopping so far has been online.
Amazon has been particularly useful because we have found some of the items we wanted more easily there.
The school set came from Amazon, and I like the convenience of being able to find several things together.
We also use Temu because of the prices.
I haven’t bought any school supplies from Temu yet, but I do like looking there when I’m searching for something specific.
For me, online shopping has also made it easier to spread our purchases out rather than making one big shopping trip.
Going forward, I may also look at the dollar store for some basic items if we find out that my daughter needs them.
You don’t have to buy everything at once
If there is one thing I have learned from getting ready for school, it is that you don’t have to buy everything at once.
It can be tempting when you see back-to-school displays and shopping lists everywhere.
However, I think it is worth taking a step back.
What does your child actually need right now?
What do you already have?
What can wait?
For us, this has meant buying the things we know she needs while waiting for more information about everything else.
That approach has made back to school on a single income feel much more manageable.
We have still spent money. We have bought a nice backpack, lunch items and new clothes. However, we have been thoughtful about where that money goes.
Getting ready for September 2nd
We are getting closer to September 2nd, and I think we are as ready as we can be right now.
I still feel a little anxious about my daughter starting school. At the same time, I’m excited for her.
She knows that her new backpack and lunch items are for school, and she has already had a chance to try them out.
For now, I don’t think she needs a house full of new school supplies.
She has her backpack.
She has her lunchbox.
She has her bento box, thermos and cutlery.
She has some new dresses.
And we are still figuring out her shoes.
The rest can come later.
I know her needs will change as she moves through each school year. What she needs in her first year will probably look very different from what she needs a few years from now.
So, for now, I’m happy to take it one step at a time.
I may not have every possible school supply sitting in the house, but I think we’re ready enough.
And honestly, that feels pretty good.
My back-to-school shopping list so far
For anyone else preparing a young child for their first year of school, this is what we have bought so far:
- Backpack
- Lunchbox
- Bento box
- Drink thermos
- Cutlery
- Five new dresses
- Labels for her belongings
- New shoes still to be chosen
I’m sure this list will grow once we know more about what she actually needs.
For now, though, I’m resisting the urge to buy things simply because they are labelled as “back to school.”
Sometimes, back to school on a single income means knowing when to wait.
And that is exactly what I’m doing this year.
Final thoughts
Preparing my daughter for school has been another reminder that there is no need to do everything at once.
As a single mum, I want to make sure she has what she needs without putting unnecessary pressure on our budget.
So far, we’ve taken a simple approach. We bought the basics, spread the spending out and skipped the things we don’t know that she needs yet.
I’m sure there will be more shopping ahead. I’m also sure that once school starts, I’ll discover something I hadn’t thought about.
For now, though, we are getting there.
One backpack, lunchbox and stylish little dress at a time.
I share more real-life moments from single motherhood, Ontario adventures, everyday style, food finds, and behind-the-scenes blogging over on Instagram.
Come say hello: @lifeofgem28
If you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing it, you may enjoy reading one of these other blog posts:
First School Summer Break as a Single Mum
New Beginnings: Moving as a Single Mum and Navigating Schooling, Childcare & Community
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