Your Complete Guide to Back-to-Neoschool Shopping

And one very important thing- Neoschool will start again.

Despite your pets' groans and complaints, they will have to go back to school. And despite your groans and complaints, you will have to take them back-to-school shopping. Pencils, notebooks, backpacks, art supplies, markers, plus so many more things that your pet will need simply to go back to school. This shopping trip can be one of the most stressful shopping trips out there, because it is definitely not much fun to drag one, or two, or three or even four whining neopets out to the crowded school supplies store in the Neopian Plaza.

But wait- it doesn't necessarily have to be a miserable experience. With a little help, of course, I dare to say that this could almost be... pleasant. And if you've ever suffered through the cries of “But I don't wanna go back to school!” you certainly know how unhappy you and your little pets will be when shopping for school supplies. You might need all the help you can get- read on, and maybe this year you can save Neopoints and get your pets under control when school-supply shopping.

1. Preparation

You will need to do some adequate prep-work so your neopets aren't caught completely by surprise when you spring on them with the wonderful message of “We're going shopping for your school supplies!” The first week-before warning is completely optional, but it could make your pets a lot happier if you're tight on money.

The Week Before: Tell them that you're going to be back-to-school shopping in a week exactly, and ask them if they want to save up some of their Neopoints. Many neopets are delighted if they get to spend a few of their own hard-earned neopoints- whether it's on a sweet new Chocolate Chia Marker or their very own Robot Chia Pencil Case.

The Day Before: Say, “We're going back-to-school shopping tomorrow.” Ignore protests. Seem excited, even if you are dreading it yourself. If you smile and say, “We're going back-to-school shopping tomorrow! It's time for you to pick out a whole bunch of fun new supplies!” your pets might be more excited than if you'd say, “Oh, by the way, we're going shopping tomorrow. For some boring pencils and notebooks and all that stuff.” Who wants to go shopping with a boring old owner who hates what they're doing? Not your pets, that's for sure.

2. The Day Of

Again, you must keep up the excitement level. Don't you dare appear bored or uninterested- this is the education of your pets that we're talking about here! An important thing is to not appear too enthusiastic, for this can come off as sarcastic and imply that you definitely mean the opposite of what you're saying. And take this from me- do not physically drag your pets out the door. If they sit down and refuse to move, use gentle words and don't grab their paws and pull them all the way down to the Neopian Plaza. Everyone who sees you will think awful thoughts (“Gosh, what a mean owner, dragging their poor neopet like that!”).

If you've got more than one pet, things can be difficult- they're all over the place, running around Neopia Central and wanting to go in different stores. A smart idea is to promise a reward for being obedient and cooperative. For example, say, “If all of you are good while we're shopping, we'll go to the smoothie shop afterwards and each of you will get a smoothie.” It's the best thing to do, and very simple- almost every single neopet, regardless of species or age, will work their hardest at being obedient if you promise a special treat for them.

3. Your Supply List

So I made the mistake last year of forgetting to check what supplies I needed to buy beforehand. There I was, holding my pet by the paw in the packed School Supplies store, and I had no idea what I needed to buy. It's a very, very good idea to bring along a checklist of everything you're going to need. A basic list is: (for a single pet- buy at least one of each item for each pet)

Pencils

Pens

Folder

Notebooks

Erasers

Backpack

Coloring pencils and/or crayons

Pencil case, box, or holder

Ruler

Optional: (depending on your pets schooling and age)

Stencils

Compass

Lunch box

You might be looking at this list and thinking, “How in Neopia am I going to afford all of this?” Maybe you have an Ultimate Riches! account at the National Neopian Bank, and have all the Neopoints you need- in that case, go crazy! But let's face it, most of us are only middle-class when it comes to Neopoints, and you need a little bit of help finding low-prices supplies. There are two kinds of cheap- bad quality but low price, and good quality and low price! Which one are you going to choose? No, don't bother answering that. Here are the best quality, low-price items your Neopet will need for their basic supplies.

Pencil: Clown Chia Pencil

This little pencil is simple and does what it's supposed to do- write! So you can buy your pencil for an average of 10 NP, and if you're lucky with the Shop Wizard, it could even be found for cheaper. If your pet has a fear of clowns or chias, try the Basic Pencil (90 NP).

Pen: Thick Red Pen

It doesn't matter what color your pen writes in, really- a red pen will do just fine. And this pen, which you could get for 20 NP, can also be used to mark papers, instead of just writing them! If your pet is opposed to the color red, try the Basic Pen (100 NP).

Folder: Starry Folder

For keeping all of your lovely papers in, you can get a Starry Folder for 100 NP. It's handy, it's cheap, and it won't fall apart on you! If your pet prefers day over night, then you could settle for a Cloud Folder at 450 NP, but you'd probably rather convince your neopet that they like stars instead of going for a folder that costs an extra 350 NP!

Notebook: Green Lined Notebook

Now, we're trying to find good deals here that are actually a good quality of item- that's why you'll want to avoid the Tatty Notebook. It's cheap, yes, but does anyone want to write on a ripped up notebook when school hasn't even started yet? You can get the Green Lined Notebook for 70 NP. If your pet despises all things green, buy the Yellow Lined Notebook (going for just a few more Neopoints).

Erasers: Destruct-O-Match Erasers

These fun erasers come in a pack of three- gray, blue, and red. They work fine despite being a little hard; just make sure you tell your pet not to rub it too hard or else they'll end up with a hole in their paper. You can buy these for just 20 NP. If your pet has had bad experiences with Destruct-O-Match, buy some Kiko Match Erasers instead! (100 NP)

Backpack: Drackonack Backpack

You're going to need something to hold all of these new supplies, right? So go and get your pet a Drackonack Backpack- for around 250 NP. If your pet has an intense fear of Drackonacks, try a Black Meowclops Backpack. 250 NP.

Art Supplies (crayons, coloring pencils): Box of Crayons

Obviously, all pets have different preferences about their coloring tools. For example, my Aarahlyn won't even go near a marker, as she adores crayons. But if you're just looking for basic just-in-case coloring tools, buy a Box of Crayons for around 150 NP. If your pet prefers coloring pencils, try the Deluxe Set of Colouring Pencils at 200 NP.

Pencil Case/Box/Holder: Purple Pencil Case

For an average price of 200 NP, your pet can buy a simple pencil box in the color of purple- it includes the orange spots, too! Your pet is going to need something to hold all of their pencils and such, so don't try and skip out on this one! If your neopet is afraid of purple, the next best thing is a Pepper Chia Pencil Box at 250 NP.

Ruler: Blue Cybunny Ruler

For all measurement needs, your pet can have their own Blue Cybunny Ruler for a decent price of 200 NP. If your pet would rather not have a blue cybunny on their ruler, you can also buy a Babaa Ruler for an elevated price of 700 NP.

There are many school supplies out there- all with different designs on them. You might want to splurge and buy your pet the best supplies possible, but if you aren't picky, then why not go for the cheaper prices? All of these prices were checked with the normal Shop Wizard.

So there you have it- a complete guide to the time around back-to-neoschool shopping. You now know which items are the best buys, what you need to buy, and how to keep your poor pets from going crazy around this hectic time of year. Have a wonderful Back-to-Neoschool!