Back to school prep, sort of

The things that actually help me get ready for the start of a new school year

We live in the northeast, so are on the later end of heading back to school. Yet, it’s clearly that season based on the water bottle and backpack emails I’m getting and the giant section at Target. And while the reminders of what to buy are helpful, there are two areas that cause the most stress for me (and neither are school supplies or uniforms):

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1. Getting Stuff OUT of the drawers and closets

I don’t have trouble getting stuff into our apartment, I have trouble getting it out. Outgrown clothes mixed with new sizes, worn out pants only noticed when my son is walking out the door, socks that will never again meet their mates - it just adds up.

Here’s how we deal:

ThredUp - I’ve looked for an alternative since their payouts have decreased significantly as their ineligible list has grown. They now charge a processing fee ($14.99) and another fee if you want them to mail you a bag ($2.99). But unless your kids are in all designer duds destined for TheRealReal, nothing beats the ease of ThredUp’s clean out bag. It’s the easiest, most efficient way to deal with outgrown items if you are solving for time, not cash.

If you really aren’t into ThredUp:

ForDays - for the stuff that just needs to be recycled - socks, underwear, worn out linens, etc - ForDays charges you $20 for a bag and then gives it back to you in $20 credit to shop their store of new items. This is solving for keeping it out of the landfill and getting it out of your home.

Kidizen - definitely more work, but higher reward in terms of cash earned. They do have scouts (seem to be more popular in the west and Texas) that will come and take your items to do the work for you.

And if none of these fit the bill, there’s a few organizations that will pick up clothes (and furniture, toys, books, etc.)

2. Making sure the shoes fit

I’m sure it would be easier to go to a shoe store, but I just don’t want to. It’s a weekend errand with my kids that I don’t want to run. So I print out Zappos’s handy shoe size chart, measure their feet, and then order a few options (not necessarily from Zappos). Returns are still necessary, but I’ve found the sheet of paper has greatly reduced the number of re-orders needed.

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