School shopping,,,ugggg

[Frankie]

School starts tomorrow and took my son shopping. I think I had 11 cents left.

He is going to be a Junior in high school. He goes to school half day, then in to another school for the other half day for Computers.

Both his school and the other school required certain items for the classes he was taking. Had to be a certain brand in some cases. Just for required items, the type they said was a "must", just over $300!!!!

And of course he had zero clothes. In pants he went from a 29x30, to a 28x32. Do you know how hard it is to find that pant size?? We found some, but they weren't $25 jeans. All his shirts to short, went up a full shoe size, socks have more holes than material.

We did check some thrift shops, Goodwill, but nothing.

So total, we spent about 2 truck payments!!!

All I've gotta say is, I have no idea how you do it with more than one, and we haven't even paid book fees yet.

 

[chandab]

While I don't have kids, I was looking at the insert the local paper printed for the area schools and their required supply lists. I was shocked. I don't remember needing much more than paper and pencils when I was in school and maybe a glue stick or two, the school supplied the rest for in-school work. I know school budgets are tight, but some of the things on the lists were shocking. One required two boxes of 16 or 24 count crayons, had to be crayola for I think kindergarten, but could have been first or second. Several required disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizers; what's wrong with good old soap and water? [And, why the disinfecting wipes, doesn't the school clean the classrooms at night?] Junior high and/or high school math required a Texas Instraments scientific calculator. Each grade had a list of at least 10 things (some even listed items not to be bought), then in junior high and high school several were broken into specific classes and had a substantial list, and they were quite specific.

 

[Miniv]

Wish I could help in the clothes department...........I take Bri to Walmart, Target.......etc......

For the SCHOOL SUPPLY LIST -- I always start at the Dollar Store......then go to Walmart from there.....

We aren't done yet. But last year between clothes and supplies I spent about $150. I think I did okay.... and that included a new backpack!

Chandab, YEP, the school supply list can be AMAZING........

 

[Frankie]

The big expense was flashdrives for his computer class, had to be a certain kind and a certain size,,,the the contraption thing he had to have for pre-cal. Without those two, it would have been much less!

Shirts and others we got at Wal-Mart and target,,,but no pants. Ended up getting a few at specialty shops in the mall,,,the rest will have to wait, we looked on line tonight.

I have nephews but even the ones younger have bigger waist sizes.

I told him we couldn't afford groceries now,,but that was ok, I wanted him to stop growing any way.

I was kidding of course.

Not like it will get better, college is just around the corner!

 

[LittleRibbie]

No kids here either but I saw a similiar list in the local paper not to long ago. I was so surprised. I dont recall ever having to get any thing for school, except clothes. I think we only had to get book covers. Can remember Mom not letting us "buy" covers...we had to make them out of the Sunday paper or an old A&P Grocery bag!

 

[Sabrina]

went school shopping for the first time - my wee one is going to kindergarter, boy things have changed and gottne more expensive since i was in school!!

don't feel bad about jean sizes , i have the same prob with hubby he use to take 28x38 pants now is a 30x38- talk about a headache, luckly he will wear wranglers but still can get pricey and they aren't always available.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

dont feel bad as Hunter had to have this and he is only in kindergarten

4-elmers glue sticks .70 oz

1 pack of crayola classic markers 8 count broad brand washable

1 pack of crayola colored pencils long 24 count

1 bottle of hand sanitizer 4 oz

2 white three ring binder 1 inch with clear plastic cover

1 red poly plactic folder with pockets and one with pockets and brads

2 packs of crayola crayons 24 count

1 pack of copy paper 20lbs ( why do the kids need this when the schools have this already times by 20 kids in a class)

2 boxes of tissues one for the class and one for the special areas ( i think that they have a storage building full of tissues)

1 pack of #2 Triconderoga pencils 12 count ( more then i will pay for a pack of pencils )

1 pocket folder with brads ( for spanish class)

with all this plus $ 60.00 for food for the class and $ 27.00 for fees

400.00 on clothes and shoes and a back pack and still not done

then they tell you all this stuff has to be in on the first day of school so they can put all this together for the class to use not me as i will only send in what he needs i dont have the money to supply the whole class. i see a problem coming as school starts on thursday :arg! !!!!! which i have all his stuff but i will not send in everthing at once! and why do they need copy paper for the last time i look that is something my tax dollars are paying for. and what happen to buying the regular #2 pencils heck if i can tell you those pencils that my child had to have are like $ 5.00 for a pack of ten

wish me luck

Diane

 

[loveminis]

Well

..... think of all the expenses you have with horses, especially sending them to the trainers. Kids are the same LOL

 

[~Lisa~]

You think regular school is bad OMG wait till College talk about breaking you....

I have the same issue with Raven and clothes- she is growing so getting to tall for her jeans but of course she stays the same in the wasit so it is hard to find what she needs in a good fit as well.

Gets very pricy and leaves something to be said for uniforms for school. Like many others have already said thank goodness for Walmart!

 

[Marty]

This was completely unheard of when I went to school and boy I am dating myself now. We only needed a ruler, one composition notebook and pencils. Crayons too. The schools supplied everything else. With all the grants and taxes it makes you wonder what the heck is going on. And I feel sorry for the teachers because they end up buying supplies out of pocket for kids that show up without what they needed to buy. Its crazy.

I know I was reeling every year school shopping and seemed like it got worse and worse each year. I was able to stock pile some stuff during the year but they always needed a different kind of notebook or a different type of this or that and it just went crazy and we could never keep up. And don't get me started on clothing and the dress code.

Truth is I'd give a million bucks for those days again.

Carolyn, Michael was small and hard to fit too. Old Navy has those size of jeans, JCPenney Arizona brand also

.

 

[Littleum]

Amen, Marty! I don't remember ANY of this stuff. I remember the list was TWO #2 pencils, a pack of crayons (any size, any brand), a little assigment notebook, a 3 ring binder with some looseleaf and that was it.

I remember that when I went to school in GA the teachers would put notes at the bottom of the lists asking parents to donate extra supplies to kids that would get passed out to kids who couldn't get everything. My mom always bought extra crayons ('cause she knows everyone- EVERYONE! - loves fresh crayons!)

Later it moved on to 3 or 5 subject notebooks. My Jr year of highschool was a big deal because I needed a protractor & compass. We mostly used the protractors for fake swordfights and the compass' for carving stuff into our desks. I don't think we actually USED them for their intended purpose for more then a few weeks.

My sophomore year of highschool was when the TI-81s came out. Up until that point we weren't even allowed to use a calculator! I swear, I was the last generation that actually learned how to use a sliderule! I didn't actually get a fancy TI until sr year (TI-87, I think), got it for $60 or so through the school. It was a BIG deal!!! Again mostly used it for playing games. I was able to pass it down to my sister who was 4 years behind me so we got lots of miles out of it.

We still handed in all our essays and stuff neatly written on looseleaf.... it was a BIG deal if the teachers made you hand something in typed. I think my Sr year (1995-1996) that they made it so you COULDN'T turn in a paper on looseleaf unless you had special permission...

I remember that my highschool budget for school supplies was $20 because my dad would drop me off at CVS and hand me a $20 bill, LOL.

 

[PrestigeMiniHorses]

Oh I remember when I graduated in 2005. My math class required a GRAPHING CALCULATER. That thing was so darn expensive. I ended up borrowing one from my moms bf at the time. Funny how he actually still had his. LOL... But man we needed alot then. And I swear reading this is making me think about what my poor parents went through at school time supplying 3 kids... Oh man... I don't think I ever really thought about it all til now.. With all the supplies, lunch money, school closes and geez at one point in time it was 50 cents a day to ride the bus. It ALL really adds up... I think we all shopped at WalMart, Dollar Tree, JCPennys, and aeropastle.. I am sure my parents had to save for us to go back to school shopping. I remember though after I graduated my younger sis and bro had it made it seems... They got super expensive clothes for Hollister, GAP, Abercrombie and places like those... I was never picky...

 

[OhHorsePee]

UGH! And what is worse is the worry the kids have with what is "in" and what is not. We get to experience the going into middle school again. I kinda went over board a little.

I had the hardest time trying to find an Atlas of all things. So back into the "I believe there should not be any homework" frame of mind I go again.

 

[Jetiki]

my son just started school this week as a kindergartener. I got lucky this year. I asked his teacher where the school supply list was when we had orientation and she said just a change of clothes and a backpack, the school will supply everything else. I had already bought some hand sanitizer and crayons and pencils just the basics. So there is some good news out there.

I remember the lists in FL and just shook my head at them, I couldn't believe the stuff on them. Who do the school systems think the parents' are Costco and Sam's Club? Its insane. Finding small but tall pants is difficult I have a hard time finding 32x36 for my DH. I actually have good luck at Costco, they are 12.99 here and really nice jeans. If you have a Rugged Warehouse near you, they have the funky sizes usually, they are a closeout store so not all the time do they have things but usually name brands and good prices. I refuse to pay over $20 for a pair of jeans. If you have an outlet mall near you that has a Vanity Fair outlet they have the funky sizes also. Check Big Lots/Odd Lots for basic school supplies as well.

Karen

 

[miniwhinny]

Add to that...my son attends two school and is going out for THREE sports

$85 Cross country fee.

$110 cross country shoes

$150 soccer fee

$40 soccer shoes

$20 shin guards

$15 size 5 regulation ball

$75 sports physical exam

$120 pole vault spikes

$2500 for 5 new pole vault poles

GASP

 

[dali1111]

One great way to save money on school supplies is buying them from a college/university bookstore. I went into town yesterday to pick up my textbooks early so I can get started on all the required reading and was amazed at the price difference for basic supplies. You don't have to actually go to the institution to get the deals either. Binders that were $15-17 at regular stores were $10. The same stuff that was $8 at Walmart was $2.99. And they have good quality backpacks for way less as well. The little plastic box index card holders that are $7 were $2.50. My mom is going to take my brother into town tomorrow to get all his school supplies. It's a bit of a drive but we'll save more than enough to make up for gas. PLus the stuff there is better quality. Now the textbooks on the other hand...

it makes me sick even thinking about the money I spent on those.