Stores around us are stocking up on back to school sale items: crayons, backpacks, laundry baskets, and microwaves are everywhere I look! Regardless of whether you’re in the market for actual back to school items (at least, for the purpose of going to school), this time of year is a perfect opportunity to think outside the box and snag some discounted items that just might make your life with chronic illness a little bit easier!

Read on to see some unconventional uses for those school supplies…

Cane Holder

Quite a while ago, my husband suggested something brilliant. I had been on the lookout for a way to hold my cane at work, since leaning it on my desk inevitably left it crashing to the floor. I mentioned to him that a broom holder might do the trick, but I didn’t have anywhere to hang it. And then he found these on sale at our local Costco: Command broom holders.

As it turns out, they were perfect! Since they are attached with Command strips, there’s no danger of destroying the surface on which they’re mounted (and no need to get out tools for installation). They take up just a small amount of space, so they worked perfectly on the edge of my desk at work. And they’re pretty inexpensive, especially in the weeks leading up to school when college students are stocking up on dorm room supplies.

If you’re not a fan of the generic look of these, you can always consider regular broom holders, umbrella stands, or many other options (and some of those go on sale this time of year too).

_{A white and gray plastic broom holder, with rubber grip for the broom, is shown next to two strips of Command adhesive.}

Carry-Alls

Sometimes it’s handy to have a good tote or laundry basket to carry items from room to room, especially if you use a mobility device such as a walker, wheelchair, or cane. Having a place to corral everything in one trip also saves steps–which saves energy.

There is no better time to stock up on things like laundry baskets, backpacks, and totes than during the school sales! You can find just about anything you could dream. If space is at a premium, there are even collapsible laundry baskets on offer.

Laundry Backpacks

I’ve written before about the challenges of doing laundry if you have chronic pain or fatigue. One of the solutions I suggested in that post was to get a laundry or hamper backpack. These bags allow you to carry clothes from room to room without having to use your arms (or, if needed, you could even hook them to the back of a wheelchair or rest them on a walker). Well, guess when you’re most likely to find them on offer, and maybe even on sale? Yep, when the college kids are stocking up!

_{A tall, narrow navy laundry backpack, with orange stitching and drawstring and backpack straps.}

Reading Pillows

Man, do we spend some time in bed! Am I right? And with all that time laid up, we need to get comfortable. I like to spend some of my recovery days reading or watching a movie on my phone, and one of the ways to make my bed more workable is with a wedge or a reading pillow.

I’ve often seen reading pillows (my college friends used to affectionately call them “boyfriend pillows”) for sale with the dorm supplies this time of year. It’s worth a look, if you’re on the hunt for something to make your recovery days a little easier!

Bins for Organizing Supplies

I really do love organizational supplies! I geek out a little bit about bins, boxes, and totes. Probably the best time of year to snag deals on them is in the fall leading up to the school year. In other words, right now!

Bins are super helpful for all kinds of things. If you take several medications, they can help corral all of your bottles in one place. They can store medical equipment, such as blood pressure cuffs, oximeters, braces, wraps, etc. If you spend a lot of time in bed, they make a great place to stash books and magazines to keep you occupied; or perhaps a nice collection of snack foods. Whatever you’re organizing, the right bin is probably out there on store shelves now…

Insulated Lunch Bags

If you use insulated bags to carry medications, insulin, feeding tube supplies, fluids, or snacks, now is your chance! This is literally the best time to find the lunch bag that makes you smile (and some ice packs, while you’re at it) to keep everything you need nice and cool on the go.

_{A pink, blue, and navy floral insulated lunch bag with zippered front pocket and elastic mesh side pocket.}

Extra Chargers

When you spend most of your day resting in one room or another, it can be helpful to have everything you need at hand without bringing it with you. This is especially true of chargers for your electronics (not to mention, it can be challenging to bend or reach the outlets to plug and unplug them every time you change location). If you’re looking for duplicate chargers for your device, you will probably have the easiest time finding them–hopefully even on sale–with the back to school supplies.

Journals, Notebooks, and Folders

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel like keeping track of all my medical appointments, records, orders, etc., requires a full-time assistant. If you are wanting a way to stay organized, take a stroll down the school supply aisle. There are dozens of folders, binders, dividers, pocket folders, accordion files… In short, just about anything you can think of to help you stay organized.

If you like to journal, this is your time to shine, too! Journaling can be great for everything from expressing yourself and processing what you are experiencing to tracking your symptoms, keeping logs, meal-planning, writing out your fears, etc. I don’t need to tell you that this is the time to scout out notebooks and journals with the back to school items too!

And don’t forget to look for planners and calendars to help you stay organized with appointments, treatments, symptom tracking, etc!

Blackout Curtains

There are two things that are most helpful to me in my daily naps: good darkening curtains, and a white noise machine.

If you are someone who needs to rest during daylight hours, you might want to consider getting some good blackout curtains. I recently bought a pair for my sons that are really good at blocking light, and I can’t believe how dark their room gets! This is a great time of year to watch for curtains, since they often go on sale along with the other college-bound supplies.

Bedding

Similarly, this is the time of year to stock up on bedding of all kinds: sheets, pillows, mattress covers, blankets, comforters, you name it! All of them tend to go on sale (often offered in really fun, hip patterns for those college kids). The same is true of towels and other linens for the home. Take advantage, and save some money making your rest-space more comfortable!

_{A collection of pillows covered in an assortment of patterned pillowcases are shown in two stacks against a white paneled wall. A folded set of grey checked sheets sits atop the left pillow stack.}

Plates, Cups, etc.

Sometimes chronic illness and weakness can impact our ability to use certain common items, such as mugs, dishes, etc. All of the regular items are on offer this time of year, like mugs that may be less painful to use.

Something you may not have considered, though, is switching from breakable dishware to melamine. Not only are they lighter-weight, but they are also practically shatter-proof. That means that if you’re having a bad day or have weakness in your hands, you are less likely to break your plate (and hurt yourself). Plus, they often come in really fun, colorful patterns that are just more enjoyable to look at!

The same is true of glassware. Rather than traditional glass cups, there are all kinds of glass look-alike plastic options out there (or, for something more fun, colorful versions too).

Guess what? These things are popular with the college kids too, so you’re likely to see all kinds of great options on sale in stores this time of year!

Miscellaneous Supplies

There are dozens of other really useful supplies on sale this time of year: water bottles, backpacks, snack foods, cleaning supplies, headphones, underclothes, pajamas…

It’s worth perusing the aisles (or surfing the internet from the comfort of your home) to see what all is on offer. Then get a little creative and try to imagine how it could help make your life easier. I’m all about saving a buck when I can, and there’s no reason not to this time of year!

Happy “back to school” shopping!