by babyfever25
With September just around the corner, children and their parents are scrambling to hit the stores for the back-to-school sales. But for some parents, there's a problem... with the weak economy and skyrocketing gas prices, who has the money to afford school supplies anymore?
This Newsday article states how, over the year, places like "Goodwill" and "Salvation Army" are top spots to buy clothes and supplies for school.
"A couple of years ago, I was able to buy everything practically new." said Lane-Bey, a U.S. Postal Service worker who's struggling to make ends meet. "You just have to do some things different to adjust." Thrift stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army say more parents and teachers are shopping at their stores nationwide, quickly snatching up school uniforms and supplies.
Goodwill sales nationwide were up 6.2 percent for the first six months of 2008 compared with the same period in 2007, and are also expected to be up for the back-to-school season, spokeswoman Lauren Lawson said."We've seen an increase in terms of clothes, school supplies, broken-in sports gear. It's a great way toget brand name styles for cheaper," she said.The first thought that often comes to mind is that families with low income tend to go to these stores. However, that is not the case, and research shows that middle class families are popular customers, as well. For many families, they are thinking of sending their children to school without school supplies, just to see if all supplies on the school list are a must.
Besides parents, teachers are starting to resort to "cheap" stores, as well, because it usually costs hundreds of dollars to set up their classroom and buy materials for projects. A teacher states:
"I drive a gas guzzler," she said. "Gas alone is making me rethink a whole lot of things. It looks like we'll have to do fewer projects, or just come up with another creative way to do them."Do you send your child to school with all of his/her supplies? How do you find bargain prices, especially with the high gas prices and other costly necessities?
Comments (33)
In our town, which is small and lower-middle class, there is a place that offers $60 to every family, for school supplies. It doesn't seem like a lot, but it really helps.
We live in a school district that half the families are low income / free lunch children.
All our children need to take to school is book bag and pencil box (97 cents at walmart)
As for clothes and shoes we go to yard sales and Goodwill.
My kids aren't school age yet, but I shop off season for their clothes. One of my favorite places is Children's Place - They have a $2.99 and under sale twice per year - spring and fall. I buy their clothes for the next year for hardly anything. When I was in school I remember re-using things a lot of years. Not everything has to be brand new if you take care of it from year to year.
i get all of my school stuff cheap...
$0.10 pens, pencils, erasers, notebooks
$0.25 filler paper, highlighters
$1.00 binders, pencil cases...
places like target, walgreens...
When Newbaby is old enough to start homeschooling, he'll be under the same rules I use for my own shopping- pants cost less than $10, shirts less than $5, and it doesn't take more than $75 to get all your school supplies for the year. Actually, that last number has proven to be a bit high, since I've managed to buy all my books and supplies the last 4 semesters and still had a bit left over to get some slightly less necessary "office" supplies( my office is all of 15 square feet in the corner of our living room), but I don't mind letting him get a few fun things. We;re planning on doing Sonlight, so we'll really need to be hitting the used bookstores and Amazon to find all the materials, and I'm sure it will still add up to over $1000 each year, but we don't really mind paying a bit more to give our son a good education.
@SeeBeeWrite@xanga - My mom always set a $50 limit for school supplies- we'd hit staples or Wal Mart for their back to school specials, and usually have money left over- You just need to go when they have 30 cent notebooks and $1 looseleaf and such, I wouldn't be surprised if that $60 paid for everything. Unless of course you plan to buy clothes...
This year my daughters class supply list was small... I spent maybe $20 total for school supplies (this does not include clothing!). Last year, in kindergarten, I spent $40 on just supplies (crayons, tissues, etc.) and then had to pay a $30 snack fee! We are (thankfully) in a position to afford everything she needs.
Well, my mother works a full-time job for less than $10 a hour, and goes to school online. I started school yesterday, and just bought school supplies and clothes today. My grandmother bought the supplies, I bought the clothes with my summer job money I had hoped to save.
For about $60, all we got were 2 - 2inch binders, a trapper, a red-ink pen, a pack of store brand blue-ink pens, post-it notes, index cards, and 2 comp. books. Yeah.... great deals my ass.
As far as clothes, I spent $200 and got 2 pairs of jeans, 2 shirts, and 2 camis. Expensive clothes, horribly cheap material.
WEll first off I we have three in school wiuth a laundry list of needed supplies, I send them with enough for THEM I do not buy the 3 boxes of markers ect becasue I am not buying things for the rest of the class, they take what they can put in their boxes and EVERYTHING has a name on it, also I do not send the four boxes of tissues, again I send them with a box for their desk, as well as individual hand sanitiser and things like that, I have foudn that often if you are buying all the things in the volume "required" on your list YOUR children Rarely use 1/2 of what you buy but at the end of the year you do not get it back becasue it has gone to someone that did not buy their own and erally I shop for them in July, you should have a remote idea of what your child should need and if you shop in July to EARLY AUG and go to places liek wal-mart you get a box of pencils and crayons and everythign for like 10 or 20 cents each if you wait untll SEPT you get screwed with prices.
For school supplies you pretty much can't beat Wal-Mart. Although Big Lots is unbeatable for many things, you can get quality backpacks and insulated lunch bags for $10 and $5, respectively.
As for school clothes (which seems to be an even more difficult issue), I don't know where the girl above who said she spent $200 on just 6 things went shopping, but it was obviously not a well-planned shopping trip. I go on a shopping spree every fall and spring and can put together at least 5 new, complete outfits for $100 or less. Here are my tips:
1. Avoid malls. But if you MUST go to a mall, skip big brand-name stores like American Eagle, PacSun and Hot Topic. (H&M, a national chain, is the only exception I have found, they are rather reasonable.) Go to the smaller discount stores for great deals. In my local mall, there is a store called Kohesion that sells quality jeans for $9.99.
2. Scope out clearance centers and outlet malls in your area. For example, there are two Mandee clearance centers within 20 miles of my house, selling clothes, shoes, and handbags for 50-70% off original prices. Just Google a store name (Kids R Us, Lord & Taylor, Mandee, etc) and "clearance center" to find one in your area.
3. My secret weapon: Kohl's. Kohl's isn't as unfashionable as Wal-Mart and is less expensive than Target. My favorite outfit ever came from Kohl's clearance rack: a purple belted tunic, leggings, and ballet flats. Total cost: $15, including the shoes.
4. Buy pieces that are versatile and can be easily mixed and matched. For boys/young men: T-shirts with catchy slogans; you can get them at Steve and Barry's for $7, and when it gets cold, just throw on a colored thermal underneath for a fashionable double-layered look. For girls/young women: now that longer tees, tunics and casual dresses are all the rage, leggings double your wardrobe and (best of all) cost $5 at Wal-Mart...try getting a pair of pants for that cheap.
Hope this helps at least a few parents and students with the back-to-school clothing conundrum!
i *love* the 'Sal's Boutique' (what our household calls salvation army) thrift store in our town. a good portion of our town is fairly wealthy, so i can find some really good clothing there for our whole family.
there are somethings that i can't skimp on tho. my daughter really needed a new backpack this year. the last one i got her was from Lands End & that was when she was going into first grade. now that she's going into 4th, the pack is still in great condition, but it's just too small to hold all the books she needs now. she's incredibly hard on all of her stuff, so in the long run it's cheaper to go ahead & buy the pricier stuff that will last longer than to keep buying the same cheap stuff every couple of months.
but i've found that it's not so much the clothes, gear or supplies that kill me, it's the cost of a full summer of day care on TOP of all that stuff that does me in. the cheapest i could find was $125 a month. which is cheap, i know, but my husband & i work full time & don't have the luxury of available grandparents. so by the end of the summer, our bills are over due, the electric is about to get shut off, we have no gas for the cars, the fridge is practically empty & THEN we need to get school supplies?!?! THAT is what kills me.
I'm reusing the supplies I have. We stocked up on notebooks last year, and that is the majority of what I use. I have half-used notebooks going to use, and the last few sheets of paper in mostly used up notebooks will be my filler paper for binders and homework.
But I want new shirts for school.
Hit up Office Max, if you've got one around. I got ten spiral college ruled notebooks for one dollar there! Visit the almighty Dollar Store, as well. They sell lots of goodies for cheap. Consider buying a very tough, well-made backpack, too... These are expensive, but they'll last for a long time. I'm entering my senior year of highschool with the same backpack I got as a seventh grader--and it's still in great condition.
I'm a yard sale fanatic for clothing and as for the backpack it is provided by the school. The pencils, crayons, etc usually aren't that bad expesive...they tend to have really awesome sales on those items.
I got
-a pack of five notebooks
-a package of looseleaf
-package of like 20 pens
-highlighters
-a pencil bag
-note cards
-2 folders with pictures
for like 7.60
I'm on the flip side of things. I'm a teacher, not a student, and I've spent the past week getting my classroom together. It's unbelievable how much money I've spent. I've been utilizing OfficeDepot and Wal-Mart and both are ridiculously high priced (OfficeDepot more so). I've dropped a couple hundred bucks easy just preparing for this school year.
And Lord knows none of my too-cool-for-school teenagers will appreciate it.
My other half is starting student teaching next week, high school level. All we bought was a notebook, box of pens and 1 folder....notebook was .39, box of pens was .25 and folder was .35 and that was at OfficeMax! I know there'll be much more to come, but getting started for less than a dollar felt great!Â
@MessyJessi86@xanga - Some teenagers do appreciate it though.
I got about 30 spirals for 3.60
5 packs of loose leaf paper for .30 cents
10 folders for free (Staples)
and 400 index cards for 3 bucks.
and I spent 9 dollars on a fivestar binder ( I am picky over binders)
July and August you need to shop around. Get the adds each week and look at what's on sale. Staples, Office Depot, and Target always have great deals, but only shop the deals for those weeks, until you have to by things that are not on sale. Otherwise you will spend a tons of money.
As for Clothes, I suggest Gordmans if you have one in your area. Inexpensive, name brands, and convenient because they have many different styles in one area. That's the only Place I shop for clothes
For Shoes, check out sears, I gota pair of chucks for 30 bucks there.
For backpacks, go to ebags.com they always have great deals, for great quality *** But if you find a backpack you like there search it in google like cheap_________ <backpack name, and you can sometimes find last years color for about 50% off. And really, who cares about last year's color when it comes to a backpack?
i don't have to buy school supplies.
i basically live at staples, so i shop through out the year.i think i have enough school supplies for when i actually have kids and they start school.i find that buying binders are cheaper in the long run, because you can refill and reuse them.
clothes are the only thing i spend a ton of money on.it's hard finding plus sized jeans for cheap.i buy my tops from the kids section.
@Amyld@xanga - where are you shopping? even if I stick to more "brand name" stores like Forever 21 and Wet Seal, I can usually get like 3 or 4 pairs of pants and 4 or 5 shirts. And goodwill is amazing, especially if you bring a friend. Even the designer thrift stores, which I still think are expensive, have lacoste polos for about $15...
look at this web site for an awesome back pack----drifterbag.com they are a little expensive but they are guarenteed for LIFE litteraly, my youngest son is now going into preschool and is using the backpack I had in 8th grade mind you I have been out of school for 9 years, so that is what a 17 year old backpack, the zipper has broken and the handle has ripped over the years but the material has NEVER worn out at all and all those little tears and things get fixed at no cost to me I just send it back in and they take care of it! All of my children have them, and I even use one as a diaper bag I think each backpack was like $50 and like I said $50 and it is now going into its 17th school year, think my mom got her money's worth!!!!
I'm a college student, and a pretty thrifty one at that. I back-to-school shop all during the summer so it isn't a huge blow to my wallet all at once. The trick is to hawk eye all the sales.
Kohls has a 15% senior discount one Thursday a month. Bring a grandparent or neighbor along and you can get that on top of a 15% discount for opening a Kohl's card. They have 80% clearance racks at the end of summer. I walked out with two pairs of denim capris and three shirts for $12.
GoodWill has has very good quality shoes for $4. They're already worn in too, so they're comfy right away. I also peruse their purse rack (and get many compliments on my purses that are from department stores!) As well as their selection of skirts, jeans and tops.
If you go to a nearby town or city that has a pretty high median household income, find consignment shops. I live in a small town outside of Annapolis, MD and I search their consignment shops and find brands like Ann Taylor, PacSun, American Eagle, Hollister, you name it... very lightly worn and at prices around $3.50-$10.
On the subject of prices. Staples and Target. We spent a lot there this time around, but it was for my brother and I. So divied in two parts makes it easier. I hate binders, primarily because I don't use them and I think they're a waste of money. The catch? *required*. and in certain cases you don't exactly want to mess with that. What put us way over what we thought we were going to pay was my TI. But there really isn't a lot of going around that, as it's a one time purchase that I supposedly should have had some four or five years ago. I adore notebooks, and am somewhat picky, so that's where most of my money goes. All I really use for my classes is notebooks and pens, so that's mostly what I got. I've had my backpack since the third grade, and it's worn well. It's an old L.L. Bean one that doesn't come in that color anymore. It was a christmas present from my cousins, and I haven't needed another one yet. It was sixty bucks, I believe, but well worth it. As for back to school clothes... I wear a uniform. So it doesn't really effect me. I've had my skirt for about three years and it still fits. (the beauty of being able to move the buttons). Blouses can sometimes wear out, but I get them at the used uniform sale, along with my ten dollar blazer and four dollar skirt, so it all evens out. I go to a private school, so the brand names and overwhelming sense of wealth can sometimes be hard to cope with if you aren't used to it. But as middle class you, or I have, at least... learn to save and buy whatever it is you're really looking for.
<3
Ordering online may also be a decent idea for people who have to drive far to get supplies, or drive gas guzzlers. You can often find decent deals in stores online, I've been noticing.
For my school supplies I get majority from Big Lots or a Job Lot nearby.
But as for things like binders which come $8 each too expensive I re-use after a year or two. I barely use my binders to their full capacity so I really don't mind and I'm sure other children don't mind either.
My son isn't of school age yet, but I myself wasn't a student that long ago. Each year I hardly spent anything for supplies because anytime there was a really good sale/clearance in the past, my parents would stock up so we wouldn't have to buy that many additional items. In fact, there is still a huge box full of notebooks, folders, markers, index cards, etc. in their basement (slowly being used up even now because my younger sister is still in college). Buying more of the essential things (folders, notebooks, pencils, pens, binders) than you need when they're on sale/clearance will save you more money over the long run since prices are going up due to inflation/gas... not to mention time!
For clothes and shoes, my family would go to this one outlet mall where things are generally cheaper in addition to our year-round off season/clearance-sale shopping.
If I had to name stores that we went to... I believe we usually shopped at Staples and/or Office Max. My mom used to get really good deals at CVS also.
Just a couple other things... When I needed lined paper, I would turn to my old school notebooks; it was very rare that I ever filled up an entire notebook for any given class. Mechanical pencils are the way to go for older kids since you can reuse them again and again and just buy the refill "lead" (and probably purchase a few large erasers too). I think that purchasing a quality bookbag/backpack is a good investment for older children (middle or high school). The last bookbag I used lasted me three years of high school and all through college! If you're into buying online, there is this site called Ebates that gives you a % cash back on your online purchases (i.e. 6% from Office Max, 2% from Dell, 4% from Target)! It's free and there's no catch. My referral link is: http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=%2FFCQt4m5LD7uHHVWeXEJzg%3D%3D