Wow...for all of you with kids..buying school supplies

[newmousecateer]

Today was shopping day for me and Apolonia. Mom and Dad don't get home from their honeymoon until Monday and she starts school on Tuesday. Figured they would be too tired to shop for school stuff, so I took her shopping.

Backpack, lunch box, pencils, pens, notebooks, erasers, etc.

Got a couple pairs of jeans and sweats to keep here for her.

WOW. Don't mind buying the stuff, but as I wrote out the check I wondered "how the heck do the Moms and Dads here on the DIS afford this stuff, especially if you have more than one child.

Whew...

 

[kinlaw6450]

I just did the back-to-school shopping with my DS and DD. It is really amazing how the supplies list is growing.

-crayons
-markers
-2boxes of tissues
-large baggies
-small baggies
-glue
-pencils

and that is just one of the lists!!

 

[JerseyJanice]

Is this her first year in school?

I think that's the worst because you don't have anything leftover from the previous year.

The only supplies I have to buy this year are a new folder, zippered pencil pouch, and book covers. We have plenty of pencils, erasers, glue sticks, etc. and a back pack from last year.

But you're right--raising kids these days ain't cheap!

 

[Kitty 34]

I try to buy a little at a time throughout the summer so it doesn't hit all at once!!! It DOES get expensive, tho!!!

 

[Ricola]

I guess I didn't really fiind our school shopping list to be that expensive. DS had a backpack, which he is perfectly happy with, the required supplies were less than 20 bucks, and we'd be buying him clothes anyways. The whole mess cost less than a couple Playstation games. Or going to a couple movies.

 

[TFMont]

It can definitely get expensive. We pay a fee for each child at registration for some of their supplies. It varies by grade and is anywhere between $26 and $54. On top of that, I spend approximately an additional $50 on each child. It definitely something I budget for during the summer. Plus uniforms and tuition! Yikes!

 

[newmousecateer]

She is going into first grade, so she needs a little more that she had before. Thought I could help out DS and DIL since they will be moving in Nov. to a new townhouse, and they will have to pay tuition. She will be going to a private Polish school, learning to speak Polish (she can understand most but cannot speak it that well) and German. A woman Kinga grew up with in Poland will be her teacher (small world, huh?)

I don't even have her full list, just bought what I thought would be the essentials.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

It is getting ridiculous for my 6th grader. 2nd grader was no big deal, hers was about $20. 6th grader had a supply list and as he started school this week each of the 6 teachers has ADDED to it. Several want 1" and 2"(HUGE) notebooks per class with index tabs, with colored pencils etc in a zippered pouch ONLY for that class(no time to trade supplies and backpacks not allowed in class, only locker). The big problem is it will not all fit in his backpack. What are these teachers thinking???? I wonder what parents without much money do???
PS-we have lab fees and other fees too!

 

[newmousecateer]

bibbidi

That is exactly what I was thinking, what do parents on a limited budget do? I sympathize, it's got to be kind of rough.

 

[ryanpatricksmom]

DS is starting middle school, and I did the back to school shopping last weekend. I got thru the paper, notebooks, pencils, etc., no problem. The last item was the TI-83 Calculator....$100.
Now, that really burned my butt....

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

I hope DS does not come home with that as his latest request!! I fear he will have more "must have" items! Must go get him now and see

 

[Pooh93]

Luckily, they pass our list out at the end of the school year so that I can shop a little at a time. Preschool requires just about as much stuff as the grade school. I don't remember my parents ever sending Kleenex, Paper Towels or bandaids for the classroom. That's how much things have changed.

First 1/2 day of school was today and I'm already sending my first money in tomorrow! $10 for her to go bowling for PE for the next 7 weeks. I can see a reorder of checks coming soon!

 

[bfeller]

We also need to get the TI-83 at $90-100. We have a freshman also. My DD, senior, has one and they use it all four years of high school. So it is only $25/year but the initial outlay of money is terrific.

 

[ryanpatricksmom]

I'll consider it a victory if the TI-83 lasts for the entire year. An eleven year old boy...a calculator...I'll bet it's lost or broken after a few months.

 

[bfeller]

Well, I did forget to say that when DS was a freshman, he lost the TI 83 within the first few months of school. He had to pay for the replacement. (They were $89 back then) He lost allowance for months. Guess what? he has not lost it ever again.

 

[A kid at heart]

Not only do I have to buy the kids school supplies, but I need them for myself now. I hit Target a few weeks ago when they had that huge sale, tablets were 10 cents each, packs of markers were only 88 cents and so were crayons, pencils were 99 cents for a pack of 20, I spent under 20 for all of us!

 

[nsyncraider17]

My mom and I just figured out that it will cost at least $4000 dollars for me to go to high school and be in marching band.

That includes class fees, fees for AP tests, band fees every year, band trips, prom/homecoming expenses, other test fees, yearbooks, school and band pictures, etc.

ryanpatricksmom- your DS needs a graphing calculator already? I didn't need one until I was a freshman, because they aren't really necessary until Algebra 2. Is he taking Algebra 2 already?!

 

[ryanpatricksmom]

No, Ryan will be in Algebra 1. The list was the same for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. I'm not really sure why they were stipulating the TI-83...when I took Algebra 2 (or Elementary Functions, Trig, Analytic Geometry, Calc, etc.) we didn't use calculators at all! If it turns out he doesn't need it until later...it's going in a drawer for safe-keeping!
Oh, and thanks for giving me something to look forward to in the HS years!

 

[BrerMom]

Tips for owners of graphing calculators:
first, record the serial and keep it in a safe place.
second, engrave your child's name on the calculator AND THE LID. I don't know why the lids disappear, but they do.

The relationship between a kid and his calculator is a beautiful thing.

 

[Chattyaholic]

It's getting terribly expensive for kids to go to school anymore, so every August I spend a couple hours at Sears and pick up some school clothes for the grandchildren. This year I took my 9-year-old granddaughter with me, for her birthday, and we spent the whole day together which was a treat for both of us. She was able to help pick out her own clothes, plus clothes for her 6-year old brother and her 4-year old step-brother. I spent about $100 on each of them, (most everything was 20 - 40% off - really good "back to school" sale) and with the "Kidvantage Club" at Sears I saved over $50 so that helped, and my son was very, very appreciative of my help. I figure it's a great way to help out. Now it just leaves him to buy the shoes, backpacks and supplies...