Spending for school supplies

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-14-2007
Spending for school supplies
19
Mon, 08-13-2007 - 3:46pm
I am shocked at how much I have to shell out every year for school supplies for my 2 kids. DD is going to be a sophomore and DS is going into 8th grade. I thought I'd be able to shop smarter this year--and I almost made it!--but at the last minute, my DD informed me she is required to have a special new calculator for math this year. I ended up spending $250 total for both kids. DS has a list from his school of what he needs to purchase, and I made DD write down her own list before we went shopping. I know our parents didn't have to spend this kind of money "back in the day!" I'm sure it gets worse when you're sending your kids off to college, but I'm wondering if others find this as expensive as I do.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2005
Mon, 08-13-2007 - 4:06pm

I will probably spend about $30 total for my son who is a high school freshman this year. I know the calculator that you are talking about. It runs $100. Though I heard you can rent them for $9/mo. if you don't need them for the entire school year. Our son's school has courses that are only only 5 months long (95 mins each day)so it may be cheaper for me to rent one when we get to that point. In any case, I don't typically spend more than $35 pear year on school supplies.

stacy

Avatar for suzyk2118
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-30-1997
Mon, 08-13-2007 - 4:15pm

Other than the $130 calculator for advanced algebra, it's just folders and single subject spirals, so it's not bad here. And the calculator is good through the next 3 years and into college, so he should be set for a while; we never had to get one that was over $30 til now so this is the only year it's been like this.

Sue

Avatar for bookwormmom
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-22-2003
Mon, 08-13-2007 - 6:24pm
Both of my kids already have those graphing calculators, so I don't have that expense this year. I have been buying as the sales are on each week. I still don't have any supply lists, but there are things I know they will need and when there are folders for $.05 or $.01 each I just buy them. The thing that really gets me is when the teachers want them to have a 3" binder, I just won't spend $12-$15 on a binder, so I tell them if the teacher doesn't like what I buy you tell them they can call me and explain why you need something that big (and expensive)I always stock up when they have the clearence sales after school starts, if there is anything left, on things like paper for the rest of the year. Right now I probably have enough spiral notebooks and pencils to last till they are out of high school. When it's really cheap, I buy it and figure it will get used sometime.
Kristie
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Avatar for mjaye2002
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 08-13-2007 - 8:09pm

I hate hate hate shopping for school supplies. :-0 But, luckily, I only have one left in public school, so it's cheaper in that sense, but we MORE than make up for it with the one in college!

There were always the few things I can get ahead of time, especially when they were in the lower grades, but not so much anymore. Invariably, you get the one class that *has* to have something different. Either they want a 3 (or 4 or 6) subject binder, or they want 4 single binders but they *have* to be different colors, or etc etc etc. And since I rarely *shop* except for groceries, and to get most of what they need for school, I have to go 15-20 miles, I wait until the last minute so I don't have to make forty bazillion trips. Plus, once they get to hs (here, anyway) you don't know what they need until after the 1st day of school. Well, guess what, pickin's are beginning to get a liiiittle thin by then. ~~sigh~~ I guess if I were a better shopper, I could do better, but well, there's no excuse other than the fact I just hate it. :)

Oh, and I *cried* when we had to buy that high-dollar calculator. (they had some at school for the less fortunate kids, which is good because no way those kids could afford one, but we didn't fall into that catagory) The good thing is, we got to use the same one for the second kid. Of course, by that time, the college kid had to have a *different* high-dollar calculator! (And we won't even *talk* about the computer programs we had to buy. bleech)

But, yeah, I'm right there with ya.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-14-2007
Mon, 08-13-2007 - 8:48pm
Yes, the binders are the real killers. My son needed 5 binders--either 1- or 2-inch. They must be $6 apiece! I think the middle school supply lists are expensive. My DD who is in high school didn't spend nearly as much (excluding that calculator)!
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-14-2007
Mon, 08-13-2007 - 8:52pm
I remember shopping for school supplies being fun when I was in high school. But all I'd get were maybe some new pens, one binder, and some loose leaf paper. Not much else! And of course, I wasn't paying for it! ;-)
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2007
Tue, 08-14-2007 - 4:54am
my mom spent 500$ on school supplies for myself and my two little sisters this year. every year she complains about, not only having to spent that on supplies but also spends atleast 1000$ on school fees. i.e textbook fees (65 3X), band fees for my one sister, gym 20 fees are 85$ for me alone. i feel really bad, but if you don't pay it you don't get to take those classes. atleast this year i was albe to buy all my back to school clothes to help out. my little sisters are too young for jobs.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-1999
Tue, 08-14-2007 - 8:48am

Yes; I think it is very expensive as well. My MSer had a list for each class and then they wanted general things to give to the teacher! Are you kidding? This is middle school. Shouldn't they be responsible to have their own things? I don't really mind the kleenex thing, because they'll all need to use that. But colored pencils, markers, dictionary, thesauras, candy, clorox wipes, etc. Sorry, not giving them all of that stuff.

As far as the caluculator goes, if you haven't had to buy one yet, but know you will in the future--check out e-bay (or some other "used" source). Both of my kids needed them in middle school for Algebra and I got them used. Still not cheap, but more in the $60 range (including shipping) than the $90-$100 range. Of course, they're probably more at this time of the year because more people are looking.

Now, how about fees? $85 for my middle schooler (which includes money for novels that we have to buy; the school doesn't supply) and $140 for my high schooler!! He is taking art and biology, which I understand having a fee for, but a fee for history, Spanish, and English? and then text book rental fees for each of those classes as well? (most of which he'll never receive a book for anyway) Then a technology fee (when he's not taking technology) as well as locker fees, etc.

It's a good thing I don't believe in back to school clothes shopping! (Probably because I hate shopping, but also because it's still summer and we don't need fall clothes yet. We tend to buy things when they *need* them.)

Janet

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 08-14-2007 - 9:23am

Having just laid out 206 bucks for ONE community college text.....don't expect sympathy here!!! LOL. We were able to find the rest of DS2's books on half.com but not this one!

When looking at colleges, if anyone ends up stuck between choices and will be footing the book bill, FIND ONE THAT RENTS THEIR BOOKS!

Avatar for heartsandroses2002
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 08-14-2007 - 9:24am
Well, FINALLY, this year, I don't have to buy the giant load of school supplied. All dd17 needs are a few items for her Art classes at the local community college - a sketch pad and some pencils, which she already has. It's GREAT!

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