The National Retail Federation says back-to-school shopping will break records again this year, according to Forbes Advisor, at least in part due to price inflation. K–12 spending is expected to average $890 per student, up from $864 in 2022, and college students are expected to spend $1,367 each, surpassing last year’s $1,199. Fortunately for shoppers, several states are holding tax holidays during back-to-school season. If your state isn’t among them, big-box stores such as Target, Walmart and Sam’s Club are marking down essentials, and Amazon is offering 20% off school supplies. #BackToSchool
Author: Jordank
Editorial Coordinator
Enjoying the Bounty of a Summer Garden
For many people, there’s nothing like growing your own food. It’s healthy, cost-effective, #sustainable and above all, delicious! And if you followed some of The Organizing Blog’s previous #gardening tips, you’re probably drowning in fresh summer produce right now.
What to do with all of those garden-fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, squashes, melons, peaches and other delicacies is the question. If you’re anything like us, you planted with abandon eight to 10 weeks ago, and now must do whatever you can to make the most of that fresh produce.
One way is to share some of that bounty with friends, family and neighbors who don’t have the same amount or variety of produce. Whether they have the space or the ambition to grow their own fresh food or not, nobody is going to turn their nose up at a ripe heirloom tomato.
Another way to take advantage of summer’s bounty is to try a new recipe (or several). Base your meal plan on whatever produce you have in abundance, and you may wind up discovering a dish that you can revisit again even in the off-season.
Speaking of the off-season, there are plenty of ways to keep and store some of that produce for cloudier and colder days. Too many tomatoes? Make and freeze some marinara for a lasagna. Got lots of corn? Cut it off the cob and freeze the kernels in bagged portions for anytime use.
Many summer fruits and vegetables can be processed, portioned and frozen quickly for later use including peaches, plums, watermelon and peppers. Got bumper crop of basil? Make pesto ice cubes and pull one out any time you need to flavor a pasta or meat dish.
Freezing summer produce can make it last up to six months, but if you really want to put things up like the pioneers, try your hand at home canning. It’s simpler than it sounds, and you can make tons of sauces, pickles and jams that you can tap into for months — or give as gifts.
Even if you didn’t grow your own fruits and vegetables this year, don’t let summer’s bounty go to waste. Visit a local farmers market to get some of the freshest, healthiest foods you’ll taste all year. (And get enough to share!)
Streamline the Storage in Your Garage
Chances are that you are underutilizing your #garage space, making it look more #cluttered than it has to be. If you’ve already #decluttered and #cleaned the garage yet still have #stuff to store, Family Handyman offers multiple ways to get the remaining essentials off the floor and make them easily accessible. Ceiling tracks, flexible shelving, rollout shelves and “throw-and-go” bins can help #organize everything from yardwork implements, automotive supplies and sporting goods to tools, camping gear and holiday decorations. Bonus: Keep putting things in their proper places, and it will be easy to find what you need when you want it.
Declutter the Garage and Have a Sale
August may give you an extra day to #declutter, the chance to sell some of your extra #stuff and the warm, sunny weather necessary to do both. But before you have a #garage sale, you’ll likely need to clear out the #garage! The first thing to do is take everything out, says Budget Dumpster. Not only will you be able to sweep and wash the floors or repaint the walls, if necessary, you will also be able to make a realistic assessment of your #storage needs and add #shelves, hooks and other #organizational aids. Then, you can sort the things you want to keep — maybe even your car — back into a freshly #decluttered and #organized space.
Empty Your Garage and Start Sorting
Once you’ve removed everything from the #garage, you can sort everything into the familiar #keep, #donate/sell and #trash piles, says Living Well, Spending Less. This requires you to be absolutely honest about your answers to the following question: If you haven’t used whatever it is in the last year, will you really ever use it again? If the answer is “No,” that thing is #clutter. So get rid of the disused sporting goods, the rusty or duplicate tools, and anything that appears broken. Slap a price sticker on anything that someone else might want and host a #garage sale, or contact ClothingDonations.org for a free donation pickup.