Spending for school supplies
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Spending for school supplies
| 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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Wow, except for the graphing calculator, I find I spend less as my kids have gotten older. All DD, a sophomore, asked for was a 5 subject notebook. She said we've got plenty of pencils and pens here in the house, and she will let me know if she needs a binder or anything for French class like last year. We do need to get the calculator, but she doesn't need it until 2nd trimester so I'll wait a bit on that.
DS18 just moved into his college dorm last weekend. We got him a laptop for graduation last May and picked up an inexpensive printer for him to take. I stopped and got a few supplies for his desk (scissors, stapler, pack of pens, pencils, sharpies, paper clips, etc). I think I spent maybe $20, including a couple notebooks and a ream of paper for the printer. Anything else he needs he can go get himself. Of course, what I haven't spent on school supplies I've MORE than made up for on his first semester books- holy cow!
Ramona Mom to 2 great kids and wife to one wonderful hubby since 1990!
I am one of those that buys stuff on clearance/sale so at this point, we have a stash of pencils and notebooks. That really helps cut costs.
Also, Staples offers $3 off certificates if you bring in your used ink cartridges. They just have to be HP or Dell I think. I have my co-workers bring me the big ones from our printers instead of sending them back or throwing them away. Then I take them into Staples and get the certificates and when I see stuff on sale that we need, I stock up. They let you use up to 3 in one trip, so I can get $9 worth of notebooks or pens or whatever else. I was also able to get some items to donate for a needy child we have adopted as an office.
It's a really good deal! I have also used them just to get a discount on a new ink cartridge which is yet another "school supply" these days.
Hope you guys check this out! I should get Staples to give me a kick back!! : )
I love Staples. Staples have saved my leaves. My family buys everything in bulk when it is on sale so that we don't have to go back for each individual thing. My most expensive purchase was calculators. Texus Instruments TI-89 Titanium to be exact. This calculator costs $150 and I had to purchase two of them. You would think that for $150 this thing would be solving cancer or creating world peace, but really it is just to make calculus easier.
The priciest thing by far is paying for AP exams. I know that that is not a supply, but on average I spend $270 a year on AP exams because they are $90 a test here. $270 is my daughter alone. Before my son graduated from high school it was well into $500 a year between the both of them.
Oh the price of education.
Adelaide
The school provides the graphing calculators in the class so I didn't have to buy one.
And it would not have been useful anyways in university. The kids are limited as to what calculators they are allow to use and programmable calculators are not it. The universities are very strict about that. My kids have scientific calculators.
As for the rest, the teachers don't care what the kids use to take notes. I will spend about $50 on paper, pens,pencils and 1-inch easy to carry binders.
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