Have you found that your child’s backpack is already torn or broken? This just happened to a neighbor of ours. Their brand new Incredible backpack that they bought back in August split a seam and now they need a new one. At the moment, they are holding the backpack together with some duct tape, but it is not a great solution. Not only does it look bad, but it has to be re-taped on a daily basis.
If you find yourself in this situation, or you just want to get ahead of the back pack rush for next year, I have two frugal ideas for you.
If you want to make sure that you have a very sturdy backpack that can last through many years of use, try shopping for one at the Army and Navy Surplus store. This is an especially good idea if you are outfitting a boy. it looks cool and the design is timeless, so it won’t go out of style any time soon. A backpack from the surplus store should last through many years of school and well into college as well. I know college kids who take these backpacks everywhere from the library to camping trips.
Of course, if you want cute characters, you won’t find them at the surplus store. Sometimes you just have to have Barbie or Mickey Mouse or Buzz Lightyear. But you can still find them at the regular retail stores, even this time of the year when the stores are already full of holiday merchandise. Just ask at the store. Many times you will find that seasonal items that go back out year after year are kept in the back storeroom and placed in an area of easy access. If the manager or an employee is willing to go back and look, you may pick up a great bargain.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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