[kathirynne]

I have been trying to set my budget for back to school purchases, but I have no earthly idea what is reasonable. (Is $200 average per child too much...too little?)

How much do you spend (TOTAL) per child to get them ready for school each Autumn? (Clothes, shoes, backpack, bike helmet, lunch box, paper, pencils, et cetera.)

ETA: The $200 number includes parkas, snowpants, and Sorels. In Montana, Winter can start in October.

 

[Ruthiegirl]

My situation is a little different since we homeschool, but I still set a small budget for the start of our school season. This money restocks our paper, glue, pencils, scissors, workbooks, etc. If I had more money, I would spend more money. There are so many books and activities I would like.

I think with anything, back to school shopping should reflect your financial/purchasing values. If $200 seems reasonable to you, then that is the budget.

Involve the kids, they can be super creative when it comes to spending money. Let them decide what they want to buy based on the budget. I have known many kids who take their budget, but one pair of trendy jeans and then fill out their wardrobe with cute stuff from thrift stores.

 

[julielenore]

I spend about $30 or less each. We buy second hand clothes throughout the year and store them, so no need for new clothes. I buy shoes on clearance for $5, two pair and a secondhand backpack for 50 cents (usually new looking) All that is left is pencils binders and paper.
I think people spend to much on **new** clothes and put so much enphasis on it that the children can get more nervous before their big day.

 

[Eman'smom]

I don't think I want to know

Ok clothes/shoes, this is something I do year round (not just school time) I buy things when they need them/when I get them onsale. I did spend 50 dollars last week on kids stuff at the Osh Kosh outlet but I got 4 pairs of shoes, 2 hats, 2 bottoms and 5 tops between the kids.

So far I've spent 50 dollars on ds's supply list and it's still not done.

He got a lunch box and a backpack from LLbean, I think I spent 30 combined on those (but again I bought them onsale)

I think 200 is about right depending on how much they need.

 

[Shenjall]

Hmm....I dont think I want to know either.

But each kid needs 2 pairs of runners for school (one indoor only, one outdoor) but we usually use last years indoors for this years outdoors so we really only end up buying one pair. We buy the runners and clothes now - while all the last season stuff is on sale. Granted, its mostly tshirts and some light pants but they usually work fine until xmas - then the xmas gifts are usually winter clothes.

We usually pay $40 per kid in elementary school for "fees" & school supplies (the teacher buys) then another $20/kid for the extra stuff - copy paper; kleenex; backpack; bandaids; and rolls of film.

My kids in high school, however, have "fees" of $50 - $60 for locker rental; yearbook; cost of paper/envelopes/stamps for report cards/info to be mailed home; etc. And all of their school supplies on top of that. But to be honest, I dont get what is requested. We buy what we've seen used in the past. I'm not spending $50 for 5 different sized binders when I can spend $15 on one nice big one.

So, when you add it all up, plus the emergency supplies to stay at home and the homework supplies, we spend anywhere from $100 - 250 per kid. And we shop all year long when we see sales! It helps, but its still rough when you've got 5 kids in school, and one who starts in 2007. The saddest part? This is for public school........And I havent even calculated all the field trips into that amount.......

 

[serenetabbie]

This year I will have two kids in school. Obviously our situation is different from the OP's... there is no way a bike helmet would be needed for school here for example, and I had to look up what Sorels were!

DD is going to K. I have spent $6 on a pair of shoes, $5 on a lunch box and $1 for some fancy sparkle-y pencils. DS is going into 3rd. I bought school clothes and thermos' at yard sales... I will say I spent maybe $5 on them for that... so that is $17 spent. We get a lot of handmedowns, thankfully, and do not have to buy much in the way of clothes.

I still need to get both kids a winter coat, they have light jackets that will be good until all the winter stuff goes on clearance (real coat weather usually starts here in October too, snow by Halloween

). I plan to spend about $50 to get both... hopefully less. DS needs sneakers and socks, so that will be about $10 to $15. We have snowboots, gloves, hats, etc for both kids (DD wears DS's outgrown stuff), so that is taken care of. So, I have about $65 to spend on items not yet gotten, bringing my total for both kids this year to $82.

 

[serenetabbie]

Oh, I did not include backpacks as DS will use the one from last year and DD got one at a yard sale for 25 cents.

 

[kathirynne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by serenetabbie I still need to get both kids a winter coat...I plan to spend about $50 to get both... hopefully less...

Where do you find winter coats for $25 each??? Even on clearance they run about $45, and the weather never holds out long enough for me to wait until the coats go on clearance to buy one!

 

[EFmom]

I don't spend a great deal. Our schools don't have huge supply lists, and I pick most of the stuff up when it's really cheap. I also pick up staple clothing when it's onsale cheap, often buying the next year's size off the clearance racks at Target or Sears. I will take each child out individually and buy her a modestly priced outfit or two and we go out to lunch.

 

[dharmamama]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kathirynne Where do you find winter coats for $25 each??? Even on clearance they run about $45, and the weather never holds out long enough for me to wait until the coats go on clearance to buy one!

Do you have a second-hand store where you live? Most of my kids' coats are free hand-me-downs, but one time I bought my daughter a gorgeous, looked-brand-new used Children's Place coat from Kidz Again for $7.

Namaste!

 

[velochic]

About $100 for clothes. Dd goes to private school, so she has to wear a uniform and I just bought a few shirts and skirts. I really think that wearing uniforms saves on school clothes.

We get her a nice pair of shoes because she has to wear the same shoes every day. Those were a bit dear. Supplies... about $20. Backpack and lunchbox are from last year. I don't see a need to buy those because the old ones are in perfectly good working order.

 

[greenegirl]

I do not yet have any kids, so cannot answer from personal experience. However, on the radio about three weeks ago, I heard a report I thought was interesting. One of the local media outlets (can't remember if it was this same radio station or if they were reporting on what someone else had done), took two moms shopping at several stores. In each store, they bought the same supplies, from the supply list provided by the school. The amount paid for the exact same list of supplies ranged from $20 (at Big Lots) to $45 (at a Staples or similar office store)!

 

[momto l&a]

I wouldn't count in clothes in the back to school budget as kids need clothes/ shoes/ outer-gear whether they go to school or not.

 

[kathirynne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by momto l&a ...kids need clothes/ shoes/ outer-gear whether they go to school or not.

True, but when I was a SAHM, my kids only needed 3 outfits and one pair of shoes each, because they never went anywhere, I had time to do all the laundry every day and no one cared if they wore the same thing over and over.

Now, my kids need at least 6 outfits each, plus a separate pair of shoes for gymn, and snowboots for bad weather. (When they were little, we just used their Wellies and 2 pair of socks, but that was before they were walking to school...)

I have been given loads of hand-me-downs, and we've had decent luck at the thrift stores, but there are some things I need to purchase new. (There aren't many pairs of size 14 snowpants in good condition at the Salvo, KWIM??

)

 

[shoefairy3]

I have barely spent anything at all
I am being a big ole meanie mommy and making my kids reuse their back packs this year and i have been hitting the good deal for "school supplies" And thankfully my kids havnt grown a huge ammount since last year. (plus i had some hand me downs for ds#1) I am finding it harder and harder to find ANY bigger boys cloths at the thrift stores (and i dont even think that a 7/8 boys size is that big...sigh) And after looking for months i figured i needed to buy him new shoes b.c there was nothing showing up at the thrift stores.
I honestly dont count shoes/clothes in the back to school $$$ b/c i buy as needed and usually 1-2 years ahead of time (hitting all those good clearnce sales

)

 

[Alkenny]

Supplies, shoes, clothes...we just spent about $125 per kid. Clothes-wise, we only got them socks/undies/and 3 shirts each though. DD has TONS of jeans, DS will get a couple of pairs when cooler weather actually gets here.

 

[serenetabbie]

Yes I am serious! I usually get hand me downs, but usually that does not include coats. I have a nice winter coat for DS that is a smidge too big right now, but he usually has a growth spurt in late fall so it should fit by November. Until then, the $5 LandsEnd squall jacket from the Salvation Army with a sweater under it should do. DD does not have a heavy coat yet. I have been looking at the thrift stores to no avail. I usually can get a new coat from Sears at the end of the season for $15 to $25... so that is where I took my figures from

IKWYM about the boys "bigger" clothes shoefairy. DS is a size 8/10 and finding clothes for him at yardsales/thrift stores is starting to get really hard. I have started to just buy and store anything I find for him in good shape that is his size or bigger. I don;t buy any really trendy stuff though, just basic jeans/shirts that he can wear in a year or two. Last year I hit a yardsale that had all boy size 7 to 12 gap and old navy stuff for 25 cents... I bought almost all of it!

 

[serenetabbie]

Oh, BTW, the weather is a little warme here than in MT, I would dare venture

It usually starts to snow about Halloween.

 

[opally]

Maybe $75ish per kid ? The majority of that ($30 or so) is for a new pair of shoes. The rest - new lunchbox, one new outfit (usually clearance, Old Navy or Target - the rest of the wardrobe of both of them is entirely thrifted). Winter jackets are thrifted, usually $5, bought off season (dd's is a LL Bean in her fave color - purple - looks new and was $4.98). The rest is pencils/paper/classroom misc - our school has us buy a remarkable amount of glue sticks (25), kleenex, ziplocs, that sort of this.

 

[A&A]

I've spent $150 on clothes, and about $10 on supplies. The backpack, coat, and lunchbox will be re-used from last year. I'll have to buy new shoes and new snowboots.
New glasses could easily be another $100. (Since the prescription has changed, otherwise she'd just wear the same ones.)

$200 sounds do-able but depends on what all has to go into that.