Now that we’re a week into August, you can start focusing on getting your children geared up for school, whether it’s for what they actually have and need at school or even things they can use around the house to keep organized and on track.

Today, I want to give some tips on some alternate supplies you can get for your children this year. But before we dive in, I want to preface this article by saying that these are some of the cheapest yet most useful items that you and your children can use not only for school but other things and activities as well. Why? Because all items on this list are packaging supplies.

Of course they’re going to need tape! Right? Well, not this kind. We recommend labeling tape because it’ll make it so much easier for you and your kids to locate certain things of theirs in a pinch. Need to mark their folders clearly for them to remember and you to access when needed? Slap some labeling tape on there. Want to make sure your kid doesn’t lose their items at school? Label them and they’re much more likely to get them back if found.

Ahhhh. You can’t label a piece of labeling tape without sharpies. Most people don’t see sharpies as packaging supplies, but when you realize how versatile these markers really are, you’ll understand why they’re such supplies. They can write on cardboard just fine. They can write on duct tape. They can write on shirts if your child has a day where classmates sign their top. Sharpies are generally good all around, especially if you’re just wanting to mark something permanently, like naming a folder or writing in a personal book that your kid is using of yours.

This is the place to put completed homework, projects, and more in case your child needs to access them again for any given reason. Whether they’re pulling out old materials to study or a teacher is requesting to see it for whatever reason, it’s a great idea to have a place at home that your child can put older materials in for later use or reference. There’s no sense in having them constantly add more and more homework and tests to a folder that will eventually rip or break. Have them unload their folders once a month by putting any old materials in them that they don’t need to be carrying around any longer.