school shopping? longer than i thought it would be

[sahm2boys]

hi
my oldest starts kindergarten this year!!.wow time sure flies

i wanted to know where and how you save money while shopping for school clothes? where to do you go? how much do you usually spend?
how many pieces..pants, tops, shoes..5 each? M-F? khackis? jeans? shorts?..im at a loss..=l

jayson has 3 pairs of tennis shoes...lighten mcqueen from wally world and his daddy took him n bought him air jordans and nikes i think..the nikes are barely used but i need to located them..the air jordans..LOOKIN KIND OF RUFF already..lighten mcqueen good shape but he doesnt want to wear them as much any more...


im hoping to locate some good deals on line with like the $10 off $10 purchase codes. or should i layway at kmart/sears??...i want him to have nice things..im not about names brands..but daddy is hollerin he wants his boys in style..whatever i grew up shoppin at walmart n still do..lol so i was thinking sears or jcpennys they have good deals sometimes

whens the best time to go for school clothes?

do you make your kids change right after school? i swear my kids ruin all their clothes the same day they get them. the one going to school has a new habit of CHEWING his collars and has ruined 3 new polos..UGH!

im setting 75-100.00 towards clothes this coming weekend..i can do a little more the end of the month and im sure in august too..

he is not wearing anything till school

i also have his physical this week $60-80 (no health insurance) and going to the health department for 3 shots he needs

got to get the landlord to draw up a lease which i HATE.. i dont want her upping the rent..we have been month to month for 2 years now..but the school has to have a contract on where we live. plus utilities, ids, birth certificates, ss cards, etc..

packing lunch? does every one do that? what do you pack? do you have variety? how much extra do you spend each week on groceries just for school..? is it better to send the lunch money..i think when i went to elemtry it was 1.25 for lunch..i dont know what it is now..correction just called $2.15 for lunch so $10.75 a week...mmm..might pack =)

[Lady_V]

A cute new outfit the first day (most teachers take pics for later parent gifts) -- after that, there is no reason to run out and buy all brand new clothes if his old ones still fit, and in good condition.

I had to buy Diva new jeans because she is on a spurt and has jumped from a kids 12 to the Jr's Dept. I did buy zippered hoodies - lets her wear her short sleeves longer and I don't have to buy long sleeve shirts just because it's winter.

I do buy undies, bras and socks for the new year. A tradition in my family... they sit untouched in the 'school only' draw until the night before school when a set is carefully selected and laid out with the other clothes for the 'special day'.

I buy when things go on clearance. I usually buy in bigger than needed sizes. She has a Hollister shirt I bought on clearance when she started first grade... it was a bit long for her, but she is starting fourth grade, and the shirt still looks like new AND it is now finally fitting her *lol*

Don't go crazy buying clothes... he will outgrow them and you will have to do it all over again.

I do make her change out of her school clothes when she gets home. A habit that started when she went to Catholic school, and it's come with us to the non-uniformed private school she is in now. Jeans last longer when kids aren't stopping their scooters with the knees *lol*

[nodmicks]

I don't really do much school clothes shopping. I usually get the kids new tennis shoes and 1 outfit. To be honest they generally don't need special clothes for school and wear what they have. Now that mine are 14 and 17 they still don't care much for clothes shopping. They do like to see what is "cool" and then shop for a few things after school has started.

I started with major school shopping when my first boy was in grade K. However I soon discovered he ripped the knees out of his jeans on the playground just like at home! SO nothing fancy was required just for school My boys came home filthy most days from playing outside at recess! Even though they smock up for art mine came home with paint on their clothes etc.

As far as name brands. Just buy what you and kiddo like. You may luck out and never have a kid into brands. I have one who is and one who isn't. The one who is knows if he wants $80 jeans he is paying at least half. Amazingly he always decides against it.

As far as lunch only you and your child can decide. Is it in your budget to buy school lunch? Does kiddo like it? Is it even healthy? I have a 14 year old who takes lunch 99% of the time because he " isn't eating that garbage!" . He takes sandwiches, fruits, veggies, pretzels, cheese and homemade goodies. I don't buy special groceries for his lunch. It is stuff we buy anyways. He buys milk at school for .50

My 17 year old loves the school lunch and doesn't want to be caught dead with a lunch bag. Our hot lunch is $2.40 so I'm glad one wants a packed lunch.

As far as school supplies (pencils etc) watch Target and Walmarts ads. They really have great sales. Just buy plenty You can always save it. I fill a big plastic tote and they just take more as they need it through out the year.

It sounds like an exciting time for you and your little guy!!!

[sahm2boys]

thanks
i really need to go through his stuff.
he has some jeans left
and long seleve shirts


love your signature about the checks..when i was little and out shopping w my mom and when i would ask for something, mom would say she didnt have the money and i would say "write a check mommy" lol

[Momto5RN]

back to school shopping is a huge marketing scam in my opinion LOL
my kids do wear uniforms to school ( which i run the uniform exchange for the K-* kids so i can get things from that as they grow ) but they still need clothes for after school etc .

even when in pre- K and K ( no uniforms ) i didnt do the back to school shopping except for supplies ( which you usually get a list )

here in NJ we may have shorts / warm weather thru october - by october fall/ winter stuff is marked down alot !!

i also buy ahead a size up on clearance etc i leave the tags on so if by some chance the child totally skips past a size i can recoup my money reselling it on ebay or craigslist .

when young ( they are now 22 down to 9 ) my kids usually have their school shoes ( goes with uniform ) - school sneaks - ( have to have white sneaks for gym days ) and a pair of play sneaks so they dont wear their school sneaks at home and get them all muddy/ dirty - .

to save $ watch clearance sales ahead of time - watch or ask on freecycle - accept any and all hand me downs offered with the knowledge to the giver that you will give away what doesnt work for you ( and if not a style - color size good for your child- i say better to re-give away then to not get offered anything because you said no once )

and alot of K is crafts etc and the teachers cant keep track of who is geting paint on clothes etc so most will say not to send them in their best outfits

if he chews on the collars of polos i would avoid polos and find nice tees etc
my oldest use to chew on tees collars though - pull it up and chew on it - its really just a nervous habit they do to comfort themselves and the best way i found to break it was to just remind them all the time when i saw them stop and make him see how odd his wet collar looked in the mirror .

[imagine]

my oldest use to chew on tees collars though - pull it up and chew on it - its really just a nervous habit they do to comfort themselves and the best way i found to break it was to just remind them all the time when i saw them stop and make him see how odd his wet collar looked in the mirror .

My youngest was a clothes chewer. It started in preschool. She has always been a finger sucker, even in the womb.
The preschool thought this was unsanitary and wouldn't let her suck her finger. So she moved on to hair chewing. Then they decided that she shouldn't do that. So she moved on to chewing her collar then they tried to stop that and moved on to lifting her skirts and chewing on them.
In kindergarten she would chew clothes so much that she would destroy them daily (very unafforadable so we made her a necklace to chew on).
She wore the necklace in 1st grade too. But also had a water bottle that she drank from during class.
Second grade she wasn't allowed to chew on any of those but would chew on pencils so much they were shredded.
Third grade teacher didn't like her chewing pencils and let her suck her fingers. She figured if she still wanted her fingers that she must need her fingers.

I wonder what the fourth grade teacher will want/let her chew on.

[shoiji]

Clearances are great during the fall and winter. When shopping at the thrift store keep in mind to shop off season. Meaning buying winter clothes, sweaters, coats, etc., seem to be cheaper during the summer. The opposite goes for summer clothes.

Talk with parents, family, friends about exchanging gently used clothes. Growing up I received many hand me downs. Really helped that I was also so short.

Keep school clothes separate from weekend clothes and around the house clothes.

Imagine, just read your post. Have to admit I found it somewhat humorous. What a patient mom you are!!!!

[imagine]

We school supply shop at home first. The supply box in the basement. This is a box of things leftover from last year and things bought on very good sales that I stocked up on.

Then we shop sales

Staples as penny days when paper or pencils are on sale for a penny or a nickel things like that. Go early if you have something you want on sale in the penny sale. There are limits but they rub out early.

Walgreen has somethings for 19 cents this week.

So we pick up those as we find them.

Then near the end of summer right before school we finish off the rest of the school given supply list.

For clothing:
We buy what they need when they need it so we don't really shop for school clothes. But I do start my fall and winter shopping at school supply shopping time.
We go though their drawers and hand me down boxes to see what they still need. I make a list and keep my eyes out.

That is how we do it.

My tip buy a good backpack and lunch box as they can use them from year to year.

My eight grader has had two backpacks First was a hand me down form me my high school/college back pack. Near 5th grade the books were big and to many for my old backpack so we bought him a good bigger back pack. Hopefully will last him until college. It still looks new.

My fourth grader has the backpack that we bought her to take to mom's morning out when she was a tot. It is a plain purple good backpack. Still looks new.

Many other people have different opinions on backpacks but this is what works for us.

Each child is only on a second lunch box.

[imagine]

Imagine, just read your post. Have to admit I found it somewhat humorous. What a patient mom you are!!!!

It is quite humorous.

I have dozens of funny stories. Some are about my son too. Although some are from when I taught pre-school.

Teachers tend to learn a few things after they have had my children in class. Good thing my children are very lovable.

[MomToTwoBoys]

Here's what I do:

I buy the boys three pairs of pants a piece. I try to get the ones on clearance. I then buy them a couple of shirts and try to reuse the nicest ones they had from the previous year.

I also have to buy an outdoor and indoor pair of shoes, plus snow boots.

You have to take into account both inner and outer wear. I try to do most of the boys' shopping with clearance sales instead of brand new. The only things I buy brand new is maybe socks and underwear. If I can get the socks and underwear on clearance, that's even better.

I go to at least three different stores for their clothes: Payless (shoes), Zellers (undergarments) and Superstore (shirts, pants, etc.). I buy a hoodie for each of them in case it's really cold.

Now that my oldest is getting into the larger sizes, my budget will have to go up. But for my youngest, I also check out any of the 50% sales that Please Mum has. Please Mum is a great store for anyone wearing size 14 and below in kids' sizes.

I'd shoot for at least three new outfits if you can. Also remember that he may get more clothes at Christmas time. But a good rule of thumb is three outfits and make them interchangeable so that it'll be something different at least 9 times.

[bumplett]

I'll just share how I do it, so maybe there's something helpful hidden in there, but I think I'll just echo what's already been said. I guess we all think the same

My guys wear uniforms, so yes, they change clothes when they get home.

When in public school, they didn't change clothes, but they didn't wear anything too fancy either -

Going into K, I wouldn't send him to school in anything too expensive, or too nice, because it will get just as dirty as it would at home (if not more so)

The only thing I buy new for the school year is a pair of sneakers. They wear sandals or go barefoot all summer, so by the time school starts, their sneakers don't fit.

I shop at thrift stores or goodwill for khakis/navy blue pants (uniform)

I try to snag all school/office supplies when on sale, such as the Walgreen's sale this week - up to 3 packs of pencils, pens, & mech pencils for $.19 ea.

Watch the ads, and Staples & Walmart will have some great sales!

We pack lunch everyday - nothing that I wouldn't buy anyway, so it's no extra money spent at the grocery store -

Our typical lunch includes a sandwich (either pb&j or bologna&cheese) pretzels/chips/cookies, yogurt, popcorn, fruit, etc. - cost for a packed lunch is much less expensive for us.

My kids will bring home the ziploc baggies most days so I can reuse them.
I'll send a plastic spoon or fork, so it's no biggie if they forget & throw it away, but of course, I reuse it when it comes home.

We use the same lunchboxes until they fall apart or the zipper breaks. This will be the third year for our current boxes. They are the nylon type that zip closed. They hold quite a bit!

I'm excited for you!!

[angelbumpkin]

I shop thrift stores if your child needs uniforms. My kids always get new socks and undies.

As for supplies I do stock when I find a could a good sale. I have a large rubber maid tote I keep school supplies in. Which last 3 kids and a few others all school year with supplies left over.

I let my kids decide what they want to eat but it has to be a well rounded meal. They each have their own lunch box and reusable storage containers and reusable water bottle. They can a have small amount of juice or small pieces of fruit for flavored water.

[ravenmaniac]

My mother never took us "back to school shopping" for clothing. It is still very warm the beginning of the school year. We may have had new tennis shoes, that was about it. I did the same for my kids. We shopped for fall/winter clothes on clearance racks at the end of the previous season, took hand me downs, and filled in where needed with sales when the cooler weather came.

I took my kids shopping for school supplies. Most grades have specific items you need. While supplies are on sale I stock up. We also "shopped" from a huge tote of school supplies. I still have that tote even though my kids aren't in school. I now shop for my students.

They had good quality back packs they used through elementary school. I think they might have had 2 lunch boxes each through elementary school. Middle school and high school were different, no lunch boxes and more up to date back packs. They did help pay for them or were bought by a relative as a gift during birthdays or Christmas.

Kids do not need a lot of clothing. My son got by one winter season with a pair of jeans, blue cargo pants, and khaki cargo pants.

Good luck!

[Cricketlegs]

I set my budget for $500 for dd this year. She is 14 and starting HS. She isn't a label wearer but she is TALL- 5'10 Tall- so she wears jeans from The Buckle at $85 to $110 a pair but she has zero problem with wearing last years jeans if the fit(3 pairs do and look great but 2 other pairs she has are really frayed at the bottom.)

Then we go and find shirts she likes and they are always reasonable in price and on sale.

We just got new bras and panties and 8 pairs of socks but in truth I will buy her 30 pairs of socks and I refuse "I can't find any socks" when we should have been on the way to school already mornings.

I do buy her vans and converse shoes (2 pairs) but we shop famous footwear so one is half off and I usually have some points saved to help with the cost.

I do wait to buy clothes simply because in our experience right before school starts is when she has a growth spurt but at 5'10 she should stop soon right????

She towers over her Mama but I am still in charge! LOL!

School supplies I have in boxes here that I pick up at good prices all year long but she will need a new book bag.

Whew I am exhausted already!

[Elizabeth CM]

Congrats on the milestone!

There's been so much good advice here that I've picked up some great tips too

Schools here (near Chicago) publish a supply list that parents are expected to fill and send with their child. If your kindergarten has that, I suggest you get it as early as possible! Walgreens, Staples, and Walmart all have great deals - and I always start at the dollar store!

My son is 9 and his clothing budget for this year (2010) is $350. We're 4 seasons here plus he's quite the destructo-child so I am going to admit freely and openly that if my mom wasn't super generous that $350 wouldn't make it.

I shop the local Goodwill plus church resales for whatever I can forage (the good stuff is thinner on the ground the older they get.)

My son has "good" stuff and everyday stuff - if he's wearing a "good" outfit, he has to change when we get home (picture days, open house days, holidays, whim, going out after school someplace special or church, etc.) Good outfits last about 4 wearings before becoming hopelessly everyday.

For the first day of school (my son is homeschooled 3 days a week and goes to school on Mon/Fridays) - there is a good "new to him" outfit. The week before school starts, I clean out all his stuff and re-organize and bring in the stuff I've bought over the summer -new bags of underwear and socks, a couple of "cool" shirts, a pair of new shoes.

I do it to kind of move his mind from summer back to school. He isn't allowed to wear the new things until school starts, which makes it more of real transition. I wash his backpack and scrub his lunchbox until it feels new. We pack up the supplies together to make sure we have everything, and I get some treats for his 1st few school day lunches - like YoGo's or Juicy Juices that I get on sale beforehand.

I always pack his lunch, and the bump in groceries is about $3 a month during school. Negligible, but remember - only 8 days a month instead of 20! I use individual yogurts or yogo's or yogurt covered raisins (on sale), PB sandwiches (that he eats at home, too), grapes, watermelon or apple (again, buy them anyway), carrots, sometimes an oatmeal cookie if I've been baking. I am trying to kill all the processed food out of our diet but of course it is a battle because of what other kids bring.

Like all the other posters, I don't buy seasonally for durable goods like school supplies. And of course, the opposite is true for food!

Best of luck and please let us know how it goes. Such a massive deal for a parent!!! I think we cry more than our kids I'll be thinking of y'all - and hope the landlord thing goes well, too.