Well, the signs are all around us. Summer vacation is nearly over and school is about to begin, if it hasn’t already. It’s time for the Back-to-School Hustle!
And oh how I dread that Back-to-School Hustle.
You know what I’m talking about.
That last-minute run to the store to get supplies, backpacks, whatever you forgot or couldn’t find. And now you, along with all the other poor procrastinators who waited until the last minute, have only a few hours left to pick them up before the stores close.
I purchased most of the required items I needed last week, but there were a couple of things that we couldn’t find in stock.
The most frustrating item on the list was the one school supply I needed, but already had plenty of at home.
Pencils.
I must have 500 pencils in various colors and stages of use. Unused, sharpened, no erasers.
But the school was very specific. They wanted classic yellow #2 pencils, and ONLY classic yellow #2 pencils.
Seventy-two of them to be exact (they pool supplies)! The pencils I already have are multicolored, and some are personalized. So back to the store I go!
I went to three Walmarts, two Targets and a Staples before I found one lone box of 72 yellow #2 pencils on the shelf.
And you better believe I grabbed them as fast as I could. A young girl behind me narrowly missed them and her mom wasn’t too happy about it.
Thankfully that was the only item we needed so I turned around to get in the checkout line.
And then I noticed it.
A major meeting of the Procrastinators’ Club! The line snaked all the way to the rear of the store. I couldn’t believe it!
Now, I only had one thing to purchase, but there were many people in line who had a cart FULL of school supplies required for the first day, and Staples only had TWO checkout lanes open.
EVERYONE was complaining about how slow the line was moving.
Occasionally you would hear a cry, “OH! I forgot the XXXX”, but no one wanted to move out of line in fear of being stuck in Staples Hell all night, waiting to pay for their items. The “lucky” people who brought someone with them, left their kid/friend to hold the place in line while they ran to pick the last item up, or vice versa.
Thankfully I had my Kindle Fire (affiliate link) to keep me occupied.
After a good 35-minute wait it was my turn at the register.
I paid for the pencils and headed for the door. I passed at least another dozen poor schmucks heading into Staples on our way out. All with a big list of supplies clutched in their fists.
As I held the door open for a dad and his two little boys I overheard him say, “Crud, look how busy they are! Let’s get these pencils and get the heck out of here!” lol
He’s probably still looking for yellow #2 pencils.
Now, there is a super easy way to avoid all of the “pain and suffering” I endured.
Shop Online
I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. I buy so many supplies from Amazon.com, especially when I really don’t want to leave my house. The prices are (nearly) always cheaper than what I can find in person and don’t forget about the Amazon Prime two-day delivery. (Get an Amazon Prime 30-Day FREE Trial here)
Amazon carries everything you need, pencils, backpacks, snacks, clothes. (Another great place to pick up school supplies is your local BJ’s Wholesale Club.)
Here are some of my favorite Back-to-School supplies.
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