School: saving tips

Beth - posted on 03/18/2010

i homeschool , i did do public school but found when they need money for lunch and money for book fees and money for this trip and early realease this day , and school off that day ... heck its just easier to homeschool . not to mention i dont need to buy the pe uniform and 2 pairs of new tennis shoes, not used , and the music fee. etc etc etc etc .....

Melissa - posted on 03/17/2010

this may sound a little weird but i have 2 neices each are a little younger than my daughter so each year our big cost is backpacks,lunchboxes and cloathes so we just rotate out all these things as we can each year and then they all have a different one for a couple years or intill they loose them(lol)

Tammy - posted on 03/17/2010

When it comes to lunches; my children do not qualify for reduced lunches. But we use seal boxes for the sandwiches and reusable water bottles for their drinks. I buy chips in large bags and then repack in reusable containers.

I buy most of their school staple supplies (pencils, pens, paper) at the dollar store or at the club stores as I have three children to buy for. I also buy all summer long at Staples when they have their penny days. Every year I go through the items that come home at the end of the year. Such as their reusable folders (i.e. Trapper Keepers) and put those away to be used the following year.

My oldest has a really nice leather backpack that he bought with birthday money one year that he uses over each year. My youngest two I purchase two backpacks each for them when they are on sale at Menards ($5/ea) as they usually break a zipper or a strap breaks sometime around the middle of the year and can never find deals at that time. Scissors and folders; rulers and calculators can all be reused the following year. I find that if I take them from the boys right away and place them away they don't disappear over the summer.

I have a storage box in a closet that I puchase pencils; pens; markers; crayons; paper etc when it is on sale and place in there. Then when school has been going for three months and they need something I am not making a special trip out to get it, they just go "shopping" from the closet.

Kari - posted on 03/16/2010

As a teacher I wait for Staples to have their penny sales and buy whatever is on sale. It means going shopping there about once a week, most weeks during the summer, but I end up with all my school supplies for only a few dollars.

Denise - posted on 03/15/2010

buy school supplies thoughout summer on layaway at k-mart so u r not overwhelmed at the beggining of schoolyear.

personally the money we spend on school lunches having them buy is a bargain. It's a hot lunch with choices for $2 a day. I know it can be higher in other areas of the USA

Layaway at Sears & K-mart for clothes helps us a lot. No credit temptation.