Funny, but to me back to school shopping means eraser and notebooks, not clothes. My kids wear the same thing to school that they wear out of school.

My kids won’t go without for school. I may not bowl in a league this fall or be able to play golf as often as I wish, but my kids will have everything they need, that much I know.

I equate back-to-school shopping with the many lists the schools send, not with clothes. They have plenty of clothes. My favorite back to school items are the specific brand-name products that are three times as expensive as generic equivalents, or hard to find things, such as “two boxes of left threaded lightbulbs; one monogrammed hankie; three yellow erasers.” This time each year leads us on a wild goose chase for these things. This year it’s cheaper to buy all of these things at one slightly more expensive place that is known to have everything rather than drive around to try and find another version for $0.03 less.

In order to let Big Oil pay their dividend, we’re giving up unnecessary upgrades in durable goods at my household!

Since I don’t have any kids, back to school buying does not affect me. To those who do, don’t worry about the clothing. The latest fashions are not enablers of learing.

The economy has not hit bottom yet. Wait until the parents credit card’s are maxed out! Then we will have problems.

Since I have no children to shop for, I can’t comment as to how this affects me personally. But I will be interested to see what other posters have to say. I’ve never really thought of “back to school” shopping as involving clothes so much as books and supplies. But then I went to Catholic schools growing up and we wore uniforms so I guess the whole “school clothes” thing is beyond me. I do know that some kids need specific school clothes–if they wore what they normally wear on the streets, they’d get kicked out of school for indecent exposure. But even buying school supplies…I’m sure some parents are going to be hurting and maybe they’ll have to make the choice between educational materials and “frivilous” school expenses like sports or band equipment.

“frivilous”? Pardon the spelling. It’s early and I’m either mispelling or making up words as I go along.

My budget isn’t that tight, at least not for school supplies. School is important and so is being prepared for it, so if another area has to get pinched, so be it.

Back to School shopping has two parts for us, clothes and the scavenger hunt. Buying new clothes isn’t about fashion, it’s about growing children. You have to get them new clothes at some point, and the start of school seems like as good a time as any. The scavenger hunt though, that’s entertainment. I’m with the earlier poster – it’s never “2 glue sticks”, it’s “2 Elmer’s 1oz. Glue sticks”. Truthfully though, our local stores (Walmart/Target) get the lists, then stocks the items – it makes for pretty quick one stop shopping.

My kids will have everything they need, however, it will not be the latest fashion name brand, that’s for sure. They will be happy to have clothes on their back and shoes on their feet. We have never ever looked at name brand items, and we definately can’t do that now. As it is, sometimes the cheaper items end up lasting a lot longer anyway.

Having young children, buying clothes seems to be a ongoing process regardless of the occasion. I think most parents that are frugal with there money, probably spent time this summer shopping garage sales, and resale shops to keep quality clothes on their children. It isn’t the cost of oil, or anything else that has exausted our economy. It is us, Americans seem to have a constant need to consume, regardless of the true need. There are many ways to acquire quality items without having to buy them at full or inflated prices.

My family has all we need, and are able to save over half our income, not use credit cards, and be free of debt. Not because we are wealthy by any means, but because we don’t enterain impulse buying, shop wisely, and leave the credit cards where they belong, in the wallet. Hopefully, the pain of high prices, will force many Americans living on credit and on someone elses money, to reset their thinking and get back to the basics of spending what you have, and only buying what you really need.

Because we have only one school age child, our budget is the same as last year. Next year is going to be a different story. The state DOR website has a list of cities, counties, and districts that are opting out of the state tax holiday next week.

I guess a lot of people shop for shoes, clothes, and things like that this time of the year. We’ve always bought those items throughout the year. It helps to have a big family where clothes can be reused and relatives give clothes as gifts. One thing neither my wife or I go for though are the stores with ridiculously expensive name brands when the exact same thing can be found for a lot less. We look hard for bargains regardless of the price of gasoline.

I don’t have kids. So I haven’t established that intimate relationship with them that all you parents have. So I really have no business commenting here. But I have established a professional relationship with hundreds of kids, and I’ve found that designer clothing and the shopping frenzy are partially responsible for the hostile takeover of childhood. If you as a parent sense that clothing plays a disproportionate role in defining you child’s identity, then you may want to work through some important issues with your child…to help him feel worthy and capable for reasons other than his clothing. The results can be dramatic: more optimism and better success in school. A healthy sense of identity will develop into more openness to others, which will develop into a sense of group identity, which will foster a child’s sense of belonging.

Recent studies indicate that kids unfortunately do revere those they perceive to have the best clothes. Having access to designer clothing affords some kids the opportunity to become popular—-which protects them and gives them social power and leverage over their peers.

What happens to the child (or young adult) when the designer clothes disappear? The answer is obvious.

I have raised two teens that are not one to go with the crowd. They shop sale or clearance and yes they shop at Target sometimes. They don’t buy in season all the time. But their spending habits will not be affected this year. The bottom line is, the parents and the teens that you interviewed are self serving and lazy. There are alternatives to shopping at American Eagle and there always have been. You have Marshalls, JC Penney Outlet in Jamestown, Steve & Barry’s at Northwest (most clothing less than $11.00), and of course Value City. All of the stores mentioned have “name brand” clothing that your children “require”. What ever happened to you buy what you can afford. Come on parents, stop whining and start teaching your over priviledged kids to become better than your generation and learn how and when to shop. Just get in your SUVs and drive to the store that fits your budget and stop trying to fit in with a crowd that is probably over extended financially anyway. Shop smarter and stop blaming high gas prices!!

As the new school year approaches, school suppy list are everywhere! Some of the list are over the top. One year a box of freezer gallon bags where on the list! I scan over the list and get the basic’s, but when a school demands a “brand” for a pair of scissors….come on…scissors are scissors no matter the maker! I am set to register my daughter for school the first week of Aug., the school mailed a newsletter giving details. School locks (required) $6, planner (required) $8, yearbook (not required) $52, school pictures taken at registration (not required)unknown cost, depends on package selected, funds put on lunch card (required)…so in essence the registration will cost approx. $100.
As far as new clothes….all summer long we have been frequent shoppers of the clearance isles! I recall as a child how exciting it was to wear new clothing the first week of school!
My daughter is also active in a sport. Being on the fundraising committee I am active and creative about paying for her sport.
I am a single mother than has never given thought about taking away from my daughters school experience, but have become very creative in paying for them. It’s not what she can do without….it’s about what I can cut back on and myself doing without. All about becoming creative and resourseful.

I don’t have any school age children anymore but I do have a wife that teaches. Even she likes to buy something new to wear weather she needs it or not. She mentioned the other day that she needed to do some shopping because she had to return to work in a few weeks. I had to laugh when I look into her big walk in closet and find it bulging at the seams. I think going back to school buying is directly related to marketing by the big stores. Open up the newspaper and look at the ads on Sunday. Watch television for any amount of time and you are sure to see advertisement.

When I see some of the list that school districts put into the stores I wonder what they buy. Where are all the tax dollars going?? You would think scissors and glue would be purchased under consumable supplies by the district. I retired as a teacher a few years ago but my department always order consumable products such as those. Things are changing faster than we know.

To me it all starts with basics, pens, paper, erasers, notebooks. My child also participates in a sport. Sports keep the child active, and contributes to being a well rounded person. And can help alot with college expenses in the future. Being a single mother and my last daughter starting freshman year, I do understand the importance of having “cool” clothes. It’s not the brand with my daughter, it’s the look. To me it’s the durablility! So we will shop and look, then talk about what she has in the closet. She get’s a budget, always has. It is up to her to select the 2 higher end outfits or the 4 mid end or the 6 discount outfits. We have to set the rules and if old enough let the child decide!

Some comments herr made me think about the list for my kids sent from the school for the upcoming year. They both needed three green pens…for what I can’t imagine. Sometimes I wonder if the school districts, being always short of money somewhere, don’t add things to the “kids” school supply list to supplement their own supply cabinets in the office. Looking at everything they need it isn’t hard to realize there is no way one kid can blow through all that in a single school year…

Tim: I was required to purchase green ink when I was in high school. We used “green” in English composition class when we reviewed and corrected another student’s essay. Then the teacher did the final review, and of course he used “red.” If at the end, there were more “red” corrections than “green” corrections, all hell broke loose!

The key question is “What’s the over-under gonna be on days until the first fundraiser comes home?” I’m guessing 7 days.

Back to School=No problem at our house. Sure we have the obligatory list and about a hunert bucks or two for clothes then I yell “NOW GO LEARN SOMETHING!”

Ryan, that’s why I think it is really for the teachers. Mine are 1st and 3rd graders, and I notice some teachers mark with green ink. I have read that child psychologists say using red ink is too negative so other, more “soothing” colors should be used instead. Who knows for sure, but one thing I am sure of: My wife is looking forward to the first day of scool…

Most parents will shop at Wal-Mart to save $1.75 and then complain their kids can’t find good paying jobs after they graduate and can’t get any healthcare….

Only your kids will Garrison. My children will be busy earning their keep and won’t be blaming others for their lot in life. They will be taught that a WalMart job won’t afford them many comforts and if they settle for a menial job, they should expect menial wages.

Garrison,

Good comment about Wal-Mart. That reminds me. I think I’ll watch “Rain Man” again, this weekend.

Tim: I noted your comment about the use of red ink and, according to some contemporary child psychologists, its potential ill-effect on today’s youth—a link to the Mr. Rogers’ theory of entitlement, for which the impeccable model of decency and respect-for-self-and-others is best known. His crusade: “We’ve lost our capacity to care about others; each of us is special just because we are; and that there is hope for the future.”

For all the good he did, he probably failed to teach the realities of human nature, and what probably got lost in his self-esteem-building patter was the idea that being special comes also from working hard and placing high expectations on self.

I’m a young child psychologist who advocates the use of red ink. It’s up to the teacher, though, to be the adult–to recognize his specific course objectives and to use the red ink to specifically enforce those objectives, and to avoid overwhelming the student with ancillary corrections.

After reading all of the posts, it appears we’ve strayed from the topic! I as a single parent of two beautiful daughters in high school am committed in making it the best year possible. I as a parent will give my children every resource to enable them to become successful adults. I will be active in fund raising, I will shop clearance, I will look in second hand stores, I will clean out their closets and hand down to younger family members or donate them. I really don’t have a perference on ink colors when it comes to markings on my children’s homework. I will give my children something that high gas prices can not take away….my time. Sometimes I believe it may be the want of a parent who needs/wants their child to be popular, more than the child wants it. All I can be sure of is that my home has been the hang out this summer and I have loved every minute it. I have been and will continue to cut back on lots of things, but my children’s education will not be one of them!

We put three children through Catholic grade school,Catholic high school then college.We are retired now and have money of our own to spend plus our three have really great jobs.

I am a single mother with 3 school age children. I will not break my budget sending my children back to school. The key is to stop buying into the hype of the seasonal sales….back to school, labor day, halloween, etc. The beginning of the school year is a reccurring event depending on how old your children are. What is really the point digging further into debt for school clothes when kids should get what they need as they outgrow things. Sure it is fun for them to take tags off of new clothes in the morning, but if you have to sacrifice your sanity it is just not worth it. If children have what they need year-round, there is no reason to splurge just because they have to go back to school.

The real issue is these obscure objects on the supply lists that seem so totally unneccessary. 24 sharpened pencils? as if your child will use all 24 on the first day, let alone the whole school year. Its like you break your neck getting everything on the list only to find out they are dumped into a box as community supplies. How about that?

Back-to-school shopping is only what’s on the required items list from school. Clothes are not considered in that. I’m always shopping for clearance items, garage sales, Goodwill, etc. I don’t necessarily have a budget per se, but I will discourage her from buying fancier items that what is required…folders with pictures on them, etc when all that is required is pockets and things to add punched paper. She doesn’t get a new backpack every year becuase I bought one from LL bean when she was in kindy that is still holding up going into 5th grade. I paid more once rather than spending more often.

Jeans are $4 at Goodwill and I’ve had good luck finding her size. Marshall’s has good prices as well. DD doesn’t care as much about the names as she does the style. Unless she goes through a growth spurt, she doesn’t get many new clothes.

I also shop ahead, i.e., I have extra school supplies and if I find a really good bargain in clothing, but a size too big, I’ll still buy for her to grow into.

Well, my oldest son is starting Kindergarten this year and I did not approve of all of the items listed on his school supply list, like a box of Kleenex and Anti-bacterial wipes, for example. I will be buying each item for him, but I didn’t realize children had to provide that type of supply for school.

I heard about the tax holiday, and I saw that apparently Missouri is giving us a holiday, the St. Louis County is giving us a holiday, but we’re still missing out on about half of our sales tax from each city to receive a full tax-free holiday for school supplies. Many cities in the St. Louis area have “opted out” of the holiday. I feel let down right now as a new parent sending my children to St. Louis County public schools.

I have a 7 yr old that attends a school that requires khaki-style pants and polo shirts. I dropped about 200 this year for 6 trousers, 6 shirts, a backpack and the usual supplies, notebooks, pencils, glue, erasers, folders. Shoes, socks and underwear were covered over the summer. I would be highly amused if his school requested a name brand.