Curious what y'all do to get your kids ready for school since it's coming up right soon here for many of you? There's the necessary school supplies - our schools give out a list of both what the kids need and what the classrooms need. Do you get new backpacks and lunch boxes every year? Complete new wardrobes? Gym clothes?

And last but not least, how much does this all cost?? What's your budget for back-to-school?

Feel free to post tips and finds also - love a bargain!

cj/

Well I buy the kids clothes on clearance all year & save some for back to school like yesterday the .40 tshirts at target & backpacks I buy in the middle of the year usually around $2 & give them to the girls in the middle of the year & then they use them next year for awhile I do buy new lunch boxes & school supplies I just find whatever deals I can get on those.

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mom of 3 greats girls

I buy quality backpacks at LandsEnd. DS has had his for 3 years and looks like it will last another 2-3 yrs. DD's first LandsEnd backpack lasted 5 yrs. The one she has now is only a year old. I rarely buy back to school clothes. I buy clothes all year long as needed. My children aren't hard on clothes so they're able to wear what they've been wearing all summer. Around here shorts will be worn at least until the end of Oct. usually through Nov. and Dec. All I have to buy are school supplies. Lunches are carried in brown bags,. No room in lockers for lunchboxes and lunchboxes aren't the norm in jr. high.

This year, DS1 needs a TI-83 calculator for math (8th grade) - that's $100+ there. I'll have to check whether we should upgrade DS1 and hand-me-down the 83 to DS2. Have to buy DS1's books for the year. We will resell his last year's books that are being used by this year's classes so the net out of that is usally $200-300. DS1 needs a new backpack this year; we'll have to go for a good quality one because this is the time that they really start to lug alot of weight day-in, day-out.

I usually get a few new clothing items, but not a complete wardrobe. Both get new shoes for the new school year; what they have are usually shot after the summer. That's sneakers for DS2 and dress shoes/boots for DS1. DS1 may need a new sport coat this year (dress code item that he's very HARD on). I have to buy uniform gym shorts and t-shirts for PE for DS1. I'm guessing that it will be $300-400 for the clothing/shoes.

Kids - they're not cheap!!

Cj/

ETA: I used to buy ahead and year round but am finding that harder and harder to do as they get older. Mostly with my younger one who is trend-conscious.

I don't have to buy them backpacks they all have Kipling bags and they seem to last forever. My budget to get them all back to school 3 kids around $800-$1000. this includes school supplies, clothes, gym shoes, new shoes, socks, underware, school fees and anything else that may pop up at that time of year.

I too used to buy ahead of time but my kids grow so fast or slow that it is hard to tell what size they will be. I hate school shopping I am not looking forward to doing it.

I wish I could hire someone to do it. Yuck!!!!

Our budget ususally lands somewhere around $500/$600. That's for everything, clothes, shoes and any supplies.

I absolute hate shopping with my two. I swear I don't remember ever being so picky!

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I don't think we had near as many choices to be picky over. Well, at least that's true for us old folks!

cj/

It usually costs me about $800 to get my 2 ready for back to school. Neither of them will need back packs this year (Last years are still in great shape) DS won't need any supplies other than pencils - the school provides the rest. I am not sure what my DD will need - I have to wait for her course lists.

DS (4th grade) is super easy to shop for when it comes to his clothes. He really doesn't need much. Sneaker and jeans, maybe a couple shirts should do it for him.

We have already started shopping for DD (8th grade). We hit the Hollister, Abercrombie, Aeropostle and American Eagle clearances this week and got her a bunch of shirts. She still needs jeans and capris - I am tired of her stealing mine. She'll need shoes too. She's the one that always costs me the most.

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Thankfully both of my boys are super easy! They each have a few new shirts for the first week of school.

Oldest will need shoes before school starts and a backpack after they go on clearance. Youngest is all set since he is a slow grower and takes really good care of his clothes and shoes and other belongings.

We are also lucky because we don't have to purchase school supplies although oldest wants some sort of fancy binder??? -- the PTO does a good job of taking care of other supplies.



Wow, I'm amazed at how much some of you have to spend on back-to-school. The hardest thing about going back for us is getting up early, going to bed early, and the loads of homework. Thankfully it is not a financial burden too.

2 DDs (7 & 8 grade) each get $300 for clothes plus $50 for athletic shoes. If they choose to use part of the clothing $$ to go toward their shoes that is fine. My girls have become quite the good bargain shoppers and usually end up with a lot for their $$. If they choose to spend a lot on the cost of jeans and only a few shirts, that is their choice/problem. We've done it this way for a few years (the amount they get has gone up as they get older) so they totally understand.
I actually enjoy shopping with them. We travel up to the closest outlet mall town and stay the night and have a good time and shop all day long.
Backpacks are still fine from last year and their lunch 'bag' is good too.
School supplies...usually around $30 each but oldest DD is also going to need the TI-83 calculator this year

We are going to Ross this year to get DS's pants. He hates to wear jeans, I hate the look of sweat pants, so we compromised and he will be wearing athletic/warmup type pants.

He will get :

2 pair of pants (I just bought him 3 pairs last week when I threw out his sweat pants - he still needs 2 more for school though - they average about $12 each at Ross)

3 shirts

pack of underwear

pack of socks

backpack

school supplies as needed

shoes when needed (I just bought him a pair of shoes before school ended and he still has not worn them for longer than 2 days in a row - he prefers his almost too small broken in Skechers).

Since we have two to buy for this year, we are budgeting $200 for each of them. My oldest is NOT happy with that since she wants to spend $70+ for one pair of jeans. The last few years, my mother-in-law has bought all the school clothes for her (and my then preschooler). I'm not sure if she'll help out this year or not.

That will have to cover shoes, back pack and lunch bag (oldest one doesn't use), all supplies and socks, underwear, pants and shirts.

We lucked out and got the middle one a bunch of long sleeve shirts from wal-mart for $1 about a month ago plus I won a $105 gift card from JC Penney, so she'll end up costing less than $200 out of pocket.

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Amy
Mom to Lauren, Eryn, Naysa
and announcing......
Gavin Michael Chase, 9 lbs 10 ozs
and 21 3/4 inches long on 10/13/09!

We don't really have a budget per se, but it does get costly-this year it will be four boys-they will all get new shoes and a new backpack (about $250 there). They will each get ONE new outfit for the first day of school (so another $200 there). Of course they will need supplies, so add on another $100. Luckily it's still pretty warm when school starts, so we can get away w/ wearing summer clothes for a while. Once winter comes around, we go through the attic to check out the hand-me-downs. Luckily, it's usually contained to a few pairs of jeans, socks, and underwear.

I love uniforms!!!
my kids go to public scholl and have to have uniforms(navy blue bottoms,red or white tops....) and any type of sneakers.
during the year ,I got all of my 5 year old's stuff on clearance(5 skirts,6 tops,2 pairs of sneakers,tights:$55).my mom got her a first backpack(a french one,square and a matching pencil case)
ds(10) just needs pants and sneakers.I bought a backpack last year target clearance($5).

my 13 year old will be homeschooled....

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By the time you make ends meet, they move the ends

My kids get a new backpack and lunch box each year. They usually go through 2 backpacks and 2 lunchboxes in a year. Between dirty school floors and food getting spilled they just don't last. So they get to pick out the first backpack(I lucked out this year and they chose $10 ones from Walmart, High School Musical)and then I pick them out another one when Target marks them to 75% off. I also buy them each a first day of school outfit and a few needed clothes. They'll wear their summer clothes and clothes they had at the end of last school year until fall/winter and then we'll buy new wardrobes. They both get 2 new pair of shoes since they're very hard on shoes and the ones from last school year are worn out or no longer fit. I buy a pair of sneakers and 1 pair of shoes to wear with skirts or dressier pants. I'm cheap though and we usually buy on sale or inexpensive.
Our school fees are $45 for my 4th grader and I'm not sure yet how much the 2nd graders will be but at least the same if not more. Fees and supplies cost about $200 and shoes and clothes to last just until fall/winter cost about $100 and a new wardrobe for fall/winter will be at least $200.
I resell my kid's clothes, or as many as possible. They're not too hard on their clothes and I'm usually able to sell most of those and put that money toward new clothes for them.
Supplies: I catch any sales possible, like the 1cent sale at Staples last week. Every little bit helps.

I shop clearance all year also and stock my daughter up on clothes and my son on shirts. I have to have him go with me to buy new shorts next week since all he has been wearing are basketball shorts and I am having him buy some real shorts(lol). They both need socks and I have to get hers at TRU since they carry the smooth toe no seam socks and she is OCD and very picky about her socks and shoes. We will get a list of supplies needed in the next couple of weeks but I have a lot left over form last year. Backpacks I stock up on when they are on clearance as well. Son will need a lunch box since he refuses to buy school lunch but my daughter had 2 last year so I will wait to buy her a new one until they go on clearance.