Back-to-school shopping has a way of making us feel like once we’ve bought the backpacks, shoes, notebooks and supplies, we can finally check that expense off the list. But if you have kids, you already know that’s usually not how it works. The first day of school comes and goes, and then the other expenses start showing up. There are field trips, school pictures, sports fees, birthday parties, class shirts, fundraisers and the occasional project your child somehow remembers at 8:30 the night before it’s due.

None of those expenses seems particularly significant on its own, but when several show up in the same month, they can put more pressure on a family budget than we expected. I have three kids, and I’ve learned that the sentence, “Mom, I need…” rarely ends with something I already planned for. That doesn’t mean the budget failed. It means the budget is dealing with real life, and real life with kids is not always predictable.

That’s one reason I’ve become a big believer in not automatically buying everything the minute we think we might need it. Back-to-school season creates a sense of urgency that makes us feel like everything has to be purchased before the first bell rings. Some things absolutely do. But there are plenty of things that can wait a week, a month or even until we actually know we need them. Sometimes waiting means finding the item at a lower price. Other times, we wait long enough to realize we didn’t need it at all, which might be my favorite kind of savings.

This is also a great time of year to start thinking ahead. Once the initial back-to-school rush is over, stores often begin making room for whatever comes next. If there are supplies your family uses throughout the year, it may be worth watching for markdowns rather than waiting until you need them. The same idea can work with seasonal clothing, holiday supplies and other things you know your family will use later. I’m also a big fan of buying secondhand when it makes sense. If I can find something we actually need in great condition for less, I’m perfectly happy letting somebody else have the honor of paying full price.

Of course, buying something on sale only helps if you were going to need it in the first place. A clearance sticker can make almost anything feel like a good financial decision, but spending $10 on something you don’t need is still spending $10. I try to ask myself whether I’m buying something because my family will actually use it or because the price is convincing me that I should. There is a difference.

It can also help to remember that school expenses don’t end when August does. Rather than thinking of back-to-school as one big shopping trip, consider leaving a little room in the family budget for school and kid expenses throughout the year. You may not know exactly what the money will be needed for, but if you have children, you can be fairly confident that something will come up. Having some flexibility built in may make that next permission slip, birthday invitation or last-minute request a little easier to handle.

And if you’ve already bought everything this year, there’s no reason to look back and wish you had done it differently. There will always be another opportunity to make a thoughtful decision. Maybe you wait before your next purchase. Maybe you check what you already have at home. Maybe you buy something secondhand or pick up next year’s supplies when you find them marked down. Good financial habits don’t have to come from completely overhauling the way your family spends money. They can start with one small decision.

Back-to-school season is a good reminder that family finances rarely happen according to a perfectly organized plan. Kids grow, schedules change and unexpected expenses show up. We can’t anticipate every one of them, but we can be a little more intentional about the things we can control. Sometimes that means spending less, and sometimes it simply means asking, “Do we really need this today, or can it wait?”

That little pause may leave a little more room in the budget for whatever comes home in the backpack tomorrow.     

Important Disclosure Information

Please remember that past performance is no guarantee of future results.  Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment, investment strategy, or product (including the investments and/or investment strategies recommended or undertaken by Shadowridge Asset Management, LLC [“Shadowridge]), or any non-investment related content, made reference to directly or indirectly in this commentary will be profitable, equal any corresponding indicated historical performance level(s), be suitable for your portfolio or individual situation, or prove successful.  Due to various factors, including changing market conditions and/or applicable laws, the content may no longer be reflective of current opinions or positions. Moreover, no portion of the foregoing content serves as the receipt of, or a substitute for, personalized investment advice from Shadowridge. Neither Shadowridge’s investment adviser registration status, nor any amount of prior experience or success, should be construed that a certain level of results or satisfaction will be achieved if Shadowridge is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services. Shadowridge is neither a law firm, nor a certified public accounting firm, and no portion of the commentary content should be construed as legal or accounting advice. A copy of the Shadowridge’s current written disclosure Brochure and Form CRS discussing our advisory services and fees continues to remain available upon request or at www.shadowridgeinvest.com.  Please Remember: If you are a Shadowridge client, please contact Shadowridge, in writing, if there are any changes in your personal/financial situation or investment objectives for the purpose of reviewing/evaluating/revising our previous recommendations and/or services, or if you would like to impose, add, or to modify any reasonable restrictions to our investment advisory services.  Unless, and until, you notify us, in writing, to the contrary, we shall continue to provide services as we do currently. Please Also Remember to advise us if you have not been receiving account statements (at least quarterly) from the account custodian.