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Make Your Money Mean More by Shopping Local for Back to School!

By Andrea Morris August 20, 2014
The smell of freshly sharpened pencils is in the air! I can’t believe summer is coming to a close and it’s already time to start thinking about back to school. As you make your shopping list, make sure you consider the benefits of buying local for those markers, binders, and backpacks. “Make Your Money Mean More” by shopping local! From the usual back-to-school shopping destinations like WalMart, Target, and Meijer, to the small businesses born in the community, shopping local makes a huge impact on the health of our economy right here in McLean County.  There are amazing businesses all around to  help you stock up and get ready for what some parents think of as the “most wonderful time of the year.”

Why shop local? The dollars you spend at local stores stay in the community—through employee paychecks, through donations to local organizations, and through investment back into the community. Add to that exceptional service and an appreciation for your purchase that goes way beyond a quarterly report and you can see why shopping local makes sense.

Stumped as to where to start? Macaroni Kid is here to help!

Pencils, Paper, Notebooks – Office Supply stores like Office Max and Office Depot are great places to begin, as well as retailers like WalMart, Target, Meijer, and Kmart. Michaels has some unique art supplies and organizing gear. For an out of the box idea, why not relive your college roots by taking a trip to Uptown Normal to visit The Alamo II? They’ve got all the ISU fan gear you could want, but they also have a terrific selection of school supplies to stock your desk. The School Shop also has an unequaled selection of specialty school supplies, like writing tablets, fun pencils, and blank hardcover books (perfect for a Young Author’s competition!). They also have a great selection of workbooks and teacher resources to help you help your child understand difficult concepts.  
MACARONI KID TIP: Try to hit the Alamo II before August 11(Move-in Week at ISU!), you’ll be glad you did!

Backpacks – Dicks Sporting Goods and Kohl’s have some great options for bags that will last this year and beyond. You can also find high quality, rugged, long lasting backpacks at Wild Country. They’re also a great place to pick up high quality fleece jackets from brands like The North Face. The Alamo II also has a nice selection of backpacks in which to haul your haul. If your offspring’s tastes run a little more toward Vera Bradley, check out the selections at The Mole Hole in Eastland Mall or Uptown Gifts in Uptown Normal.  

Clothes – There are so many great places to find some new school clothes! You and your kids already have your favorites, but there are always new places to look. Sometimes a summer growth spurt leaves you in need of a whole new wardrobe and the costs feel astronomical. Why not consider picking up a few things at some of the local resale shops? High quality, trendy items for a fraction of the cost new—some still with the tags on! For little kids, check out Frogs & Fairies on Krispy Kreme Drive or Duckygirl Resale in Downtown Bloomington (a great resource for teaching and homeschooling materials, too!). Teens and Tweens can check out Plato’s Closet or Clothes Mentor, both in Lakewood Plaza at Veterans and Clearwater, for great brands at greater prices.  The Children’s Place in College Hills Mall is another go-to for kids’ back to school clothes.

Shoes – Growing feet need good support for the day to day as well as in sports. Getting your child’s feet properly measured and getting shoes that really fit well will prevent a lifetime of problems later. Experts at Fleet Feet on Krispy Kreme Drive in Bloomington or Often Running in Uptown Normal match your child with a shoe that will be a perfect  fit. For specialty gear and shoes for sports, be sure to check out Read’s Sporting Goods on IAA Drive in Bloomington. All three shops have well trained, knowledgeable employees who really know what kids need and how to get them the best gear for your dollar.

Lunches – Most students will bring their lunches at least some of the time during the school year. Great lunchbox gear can really make that easy (and can make sure that the ranch dressing for the carrots doesn’t run all over the chocolate chip cookie.) The Garlic Press in Uptown Normal has some terrific bento box style lunch containers that will do the trick, perfect for lunch on the go! For an unexpected lunchbox surprise on the first day of school, pick up a tiny cheesecake at That’s So Sweet in Uptown Normal or a mini cupcake from Sugar Mama, with locations in Downtown Bloomington and Uptown Normal, or from Sweet Temptations on Washington in Bloomington. Want to start the year off right with some healthier choices in the lunchbox? Common Ground in Downtown Bloomington and Naturally Yours on College in Normal both have unique options that are tasty, healthy, and kid friendly.

This is only a partial list, of course! Once you start looking for local businesses to supply you with whatever you need it becomes apparent that much of what you need can be found close to home. Know of a great business that we didn’t highlight here? Let us know! We LOVE to spread the word about local businesses!

Learn more about the benefits of shopping locally by visiting www.makeyourmoneymeanmore.com.