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Hello,
This week we have tips and articles about Back to School shopping. Next week we are doing an issue with general Back to School tips. The following week we will have an issue about Back to School breafkast and lunch tips and recipes. If you have an Back to School tips to share, feel free to submit them on one of the contest pages.
Have a great weekend!
Susan
Tips:
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Tips
Back to School Clothes on a Budget
Happy shopping!
Kim Danger is a wife and mother of a 10-month old daughter, Sydney. She has a degree in Marketing and works from the home. Visit her website, Mommysavers, at http://www.mommysavers.com and subscribe to the free weekly newsletter!
By elpasolady
By Tashface
Unfortunately, she never did get around to buying me much after school started. Although we went shopping, she didn't approve of the items I'd selected (back in the 1960's). End of story.
By cookwie
Look through the phone book for all the consignment stores. The American Cancer Society is a good one. Look for ones in more expensive neighborhoods, and especially in resorts.
By the Oracle
Also, her school bookbag is a namebrand that has a lifetime gaurantee (remember to save the receipt). I requested one for her Birthday (close to when school starts) because I was tired of buying an $8 bookbag that only lasted a few months. My family member was able to pick it up on clearance and with coupons (Sometimes department stores are worth shopping in!).
By stevesgal
Feel free to post your ideas in the forum below.
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I redecorate my son's discarded binders and barely used notebooks. Then, I use them for journals, collecting recipes, etc. It's fun to decorate the books by gluing on flower photos from gardening catalogs, ribbon, paint, and stickers.
By Kay from Tamarac, FL
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Let Older Children Handle Their Clothing Budget
Give older children and teenagers their own reasonable clothing budget. They quickly learn that the money only goes so far. If they want designer jeans, fine, but they'll have to cut back somewhere else or earn the extra money themselves.
By Lisa Trudeau
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Stocking Up on School Supplies
Stock up now during back-to-school sales on school supplies. During the year you will need more glue, markers, paper, notebooks, etc. and they will never be cheaper than they are right now! Store them all in one place, like a crate so you and your kids will know where to look before buying anything more.
By Linda
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Simplify Back to School Shopping -- Save Money, Too!
By Nancy Peterson
Simplify Back to School Shopping -- Save Money, Too! The beginning of a new school year can be an exciting time, but back-to-school costs can stress parents, said Katey Walker, Kansas State University Research and Extension family resource specialist.
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Overspending in September - Supplies for the Secondary Schools
By Kelly Ann Butterbaugh
As a middle and high school teacher I see gross overspending in September. Yes, the students cause most of it with desires for new wardrobes and expensive backpacks; however, most of it comes from well-intentioned parents who go overboard with supplies. Ads promote overstocking, and it's difficult for teachers to tell parents that their children have no need for scientific calculators in the seventh grade. How then do you take advantage of the back to school sales without purchasing too much?
Book socks, those stretchy covers for books are the greatest invention since pre-punched notebook paper. They protect the books while keeping adhesive damage (tape or sticky covers) to a minimum. Barring student graffiti and other boredom busters. they last all year and can be recycled into the next year.
Paper is a must, of course. The amount depends upon the school, but a few reams of notebook paper is essential for any desk. Spiral bound notebooks also are more than useful in the upper grades and can often be purchased for as little as $0.10 a piece.
Blue or black pens are important but stray away from the unfamiliar. Don't give in to the teenage demands and spring for the colored gel pens; most teachers don't accept them on school work. Instead, opt for several blue or black pens. With most assignments being typed, however, purchasing a gross of pens is a bit overdone.
If you're organized enough, try purchasing during the sales but keeping everything wrapped with the receipts. Than, return what's unneeded and take advantage of what was purchased at a bargain. Warning: It's hard to keep the children's hands from those shiny new supplies. Be schooled in patience to try this.
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Kids grow out of their jackets really quickly but the jackets don't seem to wear out quickly. Get together some of your friends and host a jacket or coat swap. You can also do this with adult clothes too. Everyone needs to bring a jacket that is in good shape. And now you can swap for a good jacket that will fit your ever growing kids.
By Debra in Colorado
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>Approach children with choices appropriate to their age and understanding. For example, brand name awareness is especially prevalent when buying shoes. With preschool children you can say, "Here are two great pairs of shoes. Which pair do you want?" With elementary school children you can set an amount of money and say, "Let's go to the store and choose a pair in this range." For teens you might say, "I'm willing to spend "x" amount for shoes. If you want something more than that, you will need to pay the difference." Help children distinguish between wants and needs. If there is something they want that you don't approve of, be truthful. Instead of saying "I can't afford that," say "I'm not willing to spend my money that way." Talk about quality versus price. To help teach this, have children do comparison shopping for something they don't care about, such as canned vegetables. Show them that a store brand, with equal nutrition and value, costs less than a name brand. Compare this to other things they care about, where the brand name increases the price without necessarily increasing the quality.
Give older children a clothing allowance. Talk with them about planning and projecting their needs and then let them make their choices. Resist your urge to rescue them from poor choices. Talk about what happened and what might work better next time. Require that they have the money saved or have done the required work before they can get the desired item, and stick with your decision. Children need to learn that hassling you will not get them what they want. This will help them learn patience in working for things they want. As parents, be aware of the messages you may be sending about materialism through your own behavior. Children learn values by watching what parents do more than what they say. Point out examples of people around you and in the news who value service and people over materialism.
By Tom Lee, Utah State University Extension Family and Human Development Specialist. (http://extension.usu.edu/)
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Back to school, or back to the poor house?
By Tawra Kellam
Back to school is a time when many moms witness their money sprout wings and take flight, finding their homes at retail stores across America. I know that consumer spending is good for the economy, but I don't take it upon myself to keep the entire US economy propped up, so when my first-grade son announced that he wanted a backpack with rollers, I saw this as a wonderful financial teaching moment. His school is small, and he doesn't walk to or from school. He didn't need rollers.
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Back to School Clothes Shopping
By Nikki Willhite
It's that time of year again when many of us put out money to buy clothing for our children. No matter where or when you buy them, there are some basic rules to follow to get the most for your money.
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Green Tips for Back to School
By Ellen Brown
Parents expect to spend an average of $574 on back-to-school shopping this year. Other than the holiday season, back-to-school shopping offers consumers the largest opportunity to collectively vote with their dollars in support of environmentally and socially responsible products. It also offers an excellent opportunity for parents to teach their children about conserving our natural resources.
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Organizing Your Teen Daughter for School
By Rachel Paxton
It's almost time for school to start again, and time for one of my most unfavorite activities...school shopping with my teenage daughter.
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Shoe Shopping Strategy - Trace Your Child's Feet
So that I don't miss out on kids' shoe sales when I am out shopping without my daughter I periodically trace her feet on a piece of paper, cut it out and tuck it in my purse. Then if I see shoes on sale I just measure up the soles.
By Wanda Ann
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Reducing the Cost of Office and School Supplies
By Naomi Knudsen
Ben Franklin once said, "A penny saved is a dollar earned." Here are some tips for saving some pennies and maybe a few dollars by reducing the costs of those supplies for school or the office.
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