Stock Up on Supplies for Your Home Office Now: Guest

It’s officially back-to-school time at the office supply and big-box stores. You can get amazing deals on supplies for your home office -- so now is the best time to stock up! Anything that kids use for going back to school is getting pushed through the store, so you will find great deals. Before you just run off and start shopping, there are a few things to keep in mind:

Do your homework. Take an inventory and know what you already have before going out to buy more. Make your list after you identify what you have.

Make your list and stick to it. Get the sale flyer from your store so you can compare what you need with what’s on sale. Avoid impulse purchases; they can deplete what you might have saved during your trip to the store.

Compare online prices with in-store prices. When it comes to back-to-school shopping, the best prices are offered in-store. Many of the smaller items are marked below cost just to get you in the door.

Stock up -- don’t hoard. Purchase only what you’ll need for the coming year: pens, pencils, highlighters, rulers, calculators, etc. What’ kids are using in school is what’s on sale now, so ink and computer paper may not be marked down.

Keep surplus supplies away from your desk. The point of buying extras now is to save cash, not to add to the clutter at your desk. Keep extra supplies in a labeled container or in a nearby closet. Minimizing what you keep at your desk will help to reduce clutter.

Monica Friel is president and founder of Chaos To Order - the Chicago area's premiere organizing company since 1990. Friel manages and trains a staff of professional organizers who specialize in everything from household clutter to corporate chaos.

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