The first day of school creeps up on us quickly. While we're enjoying summertime cookouts, vacations and lazy afternoons by the pool, school is waiting just around the corner. That's why it's never too early to start planning for the upcoming school year.

In particular, ordering school products is a task you want to plan for in advance. Using promotional school products in the classroom can be fun, affordable and effective. The key is to take your time so you can make wise purchases.

With that being said, here are the top five reasons why it's not too early to start planning your school products for the upcoming year:

1. Save money by placing orders early. Placing orders well in advance will save you the added charges associated with expedited printing and shipping. The fees for last-minute orders are an avoidable expense. It is much better to spend that money on more cool products for your students and teachers.

2. Get organized. By ordering your school products now, you will have time to organize the items by classroom and grade level. Enjoy getting the items ready rather than rushing around the day before school starts.

For instance, pencils are one item you're likely to order by the hundreds. Products such as the Hexagonal School Pencil are very affordable, so you'll be able to order a lot. However, sorting through those boxes of pencils will take time.

3. Craft your design: When you order promotional school products, you have the ability to imprint the items with logos, sayings and other images. Personalization is what makes promotional products so fun. Plan your orders now so you will have ample time to create and select the perfect designs.

A product like the Slanted Rectangular Eraser provides you with a sizeable blank canvas for your designs. Take full advantage of this artistic opportunity by investing time in coming up with a winning design.

4. Benefit from advance planning: Ordering in bulk can save you a significant amount of money. If you start planning early, you will have time to crunch the numbers so you can get the best deal possible. You can also better determine your school's needs and which products will most benefit the faculty, staff and students.

A sturdy, easy-to-read ruler is a must for every grade level. A product such as the 12 1/2 Natural Finish Ruler is already budget-friendly, but prices continue to drop the more you order.

5. Hand out gifts before the school year starts: Get your students and faculty members excited about the first day of school with some free school products. Hand them out when students come to pick up their new schedule or visit their classroom. Stop by and surprise the teachers who are getting their rooms ready for the first day.

A sparkling new coffee mug like the C-Handle 11 Oz. Ceramic Mug will delight your teachers. And they'll definitely need some caffeine to get through that first week! Order a large quantity so you have enough to stock the teacher's lounge as well.

Don't let the benefits of early planning remain a nice theory. Make this the year that you get on the ball so you can save money, plan effectively and have more fun with your school products.