School supplies - do YOU remember needing this much stuff?

[grinningghost]

Last night we went school supply shopping - AGAIN. Seems the lists keep coming. I won't say how much I've spent already, but it's enough to feed us for a couple weeks.

I remember high school well (even though I'm ancient according to DD) and it was always some folders, some spiral notebooks, paper, pens, pencils, and that was about it. Now - forget it, there's the graphing calculators, tons of 3 ring binders in varying sizes, 3 hole punches, 6 inch rulers, 12 inch rulers, drawing compasses, and on and on.

What do people that simply don't have the money to finance all this stuff do?

 

[snoopy]

I know at our school we are asked to make a donation of either extra supplies or $$ for people who don't have the money. I usually send in extra supplies.

My oldest is in 3rd grade and we spent $60 on school supplies for just him. The youngest is in Pre-K and we didn't have to buy him any supplies this year, but next year I guess it will be another $60 for him.

And no, I don't recall having to buy much of anything when I was a kid. A couple of pencils, a schoolbox and a notebook or two, that was about it.

 

[browneyes]

I remembered when I started school, all I needed were pencils, pens and paper.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

oh I know.

Part of the problem is also the huge budget crunch our school is under. Our Art program was drastically cut and now the parents are trying to fund it through donations and sending in supplies. Also, we are asked to supply our classroom with things like Paper Towels, garbage pail liners, Windex etc etc etc. It's kind of sad really.

Our Church did a school supply drive. We collected enough money for about 200 backpacks filled with paper, pencils, rulers, binders etc -- they were handed out in less than two hours.

 

[jscharf]

I have one dd is high school and one ds in the middle school between the two of them it was close to 200 dollars. My dd needed a graphic calculator and that cost 89.00 I think it is crazy.

 

[jsmith]

yeah and I learned my lesson on the graphing calculator when the first one went through high school-they recommend a TI 83 for algebra and geomtry but you find out that it doesn't do everything they need for AP calc and physics and get stuck for another 140 for a better one-this time I am just buying the better one first and saving myself 100 bucks!

 

[Meriweather]

OMG.....I'm so old that when I went to school, the shcool supplied everything
And......there were NO calculators

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Staples was full of cranky mommies and their kids the other night, including me.

I've spent about $120 so far for the 3 kids, but we have to head out over the weekend again. We already have the TI 83 calculator...please don't tell me we'll need another kind for calculus jsmith! Well, I think I've got a year to save my pennies for that one.

We needed notebooks, pens, pencils "when I was young". Ah...the good ol' days.

 

[powellrj]

what got me was all the cleaning supplies that were on the lists this year. Swiffers and lysol wipes were added to most of the lists this year. It really got expensive because ds has 7 teachers each wanting different cleaning supplies.

 

[Liz]

I was just having a conversation with my friend about this very thing. I am going broke getting my two high schoolers registered for school (for their FREE education) and all the accompanying supplies. YIKES!!!!

 

[Angelrose]

Back in the stone age, I only needed a pen, pencil and a 3 ring binder for high school. Thank goodness my son is all grown up and on his own now. But we did have to buy him that graphing calculator and another one for calculus.

 

[Snowysmom]

We're keeping Staples in business this school year! I don't buy anything much before school starts-just notebooks, pens, and pencils. On the first day they come home with a list of what they need. One year we bought all kinds of stuff before school started and ended up having to store alot of it for future use. When I went to school we only needed notebook paper, pens, and pencils. No calculators! I do feel bad for people who can't afford alot of supplies. The teachers really should take that into consideration.

 

[TiggerPiglet]

All I want to know is: What ever happened to covering your hard covered books with brown paper bags? Now they cover them with book socks that are a few dollars a piece. Of course you can still cover books with the paper bags, but then your kid will be ostracized
Oh, how I long for the good ole days....

 

[Fire14]

I covered my College books with paper bags and Disney stickers.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

I teach and aside from pencils I purchased all the supplies for the students myself. Granted it is elementary school and it would be impossible in high school. My own son came home with a list a mile long and as you know AFTER school starts the sales stop. My problem is that the list should be available last day of school so it will cost alot less.


Here is an interesting hint I found this year, if you take ANYONE else's sale paper to Wal-Mart they will match it!! So it makes just one stop shopping.

 

[JohnTBap]

The best spent money is that which goes to my child's education.

 

[shortbun]

Our school asks for $15, the teachers get the supplies in bulk
from a local company. We are periodically asked for tissues and
hand soap. I also take in some cool pencils and a couple paks of
glue sticks cause they seem to go fast(the teacher doesn't require them.) In grade school, another great donation is old
business stationary for use on the computer printers when graphics are printed. Our school's yearly budget for paper alone
exceeds $10,000.00. I don't want my DS's teacher to have to
spend any of her hard earned $$$ for basic school supplies.
Take care of teachers, they deserve it.

 

[powellrj]

My own son came home with a list a mile long and as you know AFTER school starts the sales stop. My problem is that the list should be available last day of school so it will cost alot less.


That happened to my kids too. I always buy lots of extra of the basic items like paper, pens etc... buy they came home with lists of items I didn't stock up on and after all the sales had ended.

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

Our school has a school store each year the couple of days before school starts. This year I was one of the chairs for the sale. Each teacher (or in this case each grade) supplied us with a list of what they wanted. We compiled these lists and then bought the stuff. We used catelogs for some of it and had it sent to the school. We also scoured the sale ads and bought stuff on sale. then we set up everything into one big sale.

It becomes part fundraiser and part helping parents. Since we buy the stuff fairly cheaply we can then sell it at regular prices and make some money for the school.

You are so right, one thing almost every teacher asked for was tissues. Another popular thing was the antibacterial wipes. One asked for paper towels.

I spent $70 at the school store on stuff for my 3rd grader and my kindergartener.

 

[winniedapooh]

I have 5 DCherubs in school this year and yikes....we got 3 lists ahead of time and I managed with sales but alas HS DS ended up sending me over the edge. Every day he came home and needed more supplies for a whole week! I subbed from 2000-2002 so I salute teachers. Starting in 2000 for Christmas presents for kids teachers I send in glue sticks, tissues, paper towels, wet wipes, pencils, etc. for their Christmas presents. Last year the elementary school even began wish lists that parents could go and grap a coupon and send in the needed items! They love their presents but appreciate the supplies so much more.....