While on holidays, people often develop new day to day routines and adopt new habits.
You may choose to relax with family, go out with friends, work on your hobbies or just sit and simply do nothing. When this happens however, the body adapts to the new routine and getting rid of old habits or adjusting to new habits can be hard.
According to the founder of Knowledge for Men, Andrew Ferebee, adapting to new propensities is difficult because you could be attempting to do too much too soon and setting yourself up for failure.
Back to school is a hectic transition for both parents and children, the former in particular as they often take a hard knock to their budget. This is usually because parents often stretch the finances during the festive season to include gifts, holidays, transport and Christmas clothes, among others.
One of the best ways to plan your back to school budget is to write down everything children need before they return to class. To have an easy start in 2019, here are some of the tips parents can use to plan a proper budget for back to school and to prepare children for the return to the classroom.
Financially
- Create a list of school supplies needed, then categorise these from priority to less important. You may have some leftover stationery tucked away.
- Bring the children along when shopping, to ensure you save time and money with the correct fit and avoid unnecessary transport costs (in the event an item needs to be returned).
- Compare prices; given it is the holidays, you may appreciate the extra savings from being savvy with your shopping. To further save time and unnecessary expense, check for prices online and to see if stock is available.
- Wait for specials before you shop, especially back to school deals which can help spare some Rand.
- Avoid temptations – a budget plan is only useful when you adhere to it. Whether you prefer to shop in January or get school preparations out of the way as early as December, remember the purpose of the budget plan.
- Do not forget to include school transport fees in your budget if necessary. Remember your money has to last well into January.
Preparing children
- Start a family book session, as reading improves concentration. After laid-back holidays and hours spent on television and/or video games, get the children back into the learning mindset by taking turns to read books. This can also help improve concentration in the classroom.
- Return to normal sleeping hours. Start your usual school sleep routine about a week or so before school starts, and wake the children a bit earlier for a morning jog, to make it easier for them to return to early morning regimen.
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