Back to School Spending?

[Miss Mary]

I'm curious to see how many Storm2K parents spend hundreds on back to school clothing/haircuts/shoes/supplies. Do you spend like crazy, as the store ads want you to? Or do you reign it in a bit and buy one or two nice new outfits for your kids? That's what I do. One or two, especially for the class pictures. New haircuts and shoes too. But that's about it. I'll be out shopping and see people loaded down with hundreds of dollars in kids' clothes! Even if I had the money to shop like that, I know in a month my kids would turn their noses up at some of it. "I'm not wearing THAT!".......would be their response.

Thankfully as I said I can't afford to go nuts anyway, but I used think did these families just not have clothes for their kids over the summer? The way our summers have gone long into Fall, I figure our kids can just keep wearing their summer duds. I'm mean, I know.......LOL

Now if your kids wear uniforms (a Godsend, if you ask me!), you don't need to apply. Other than buying several new uniforms, I'm sure you can skip the rest. I envy you!!!!!

I don't know how to do a poll, otherwise this would have made a great poll topic!!! I need 101 in Poll taking I guess.......LOL

[David]

I don't spend alot of money on supplies. I talked to a girl earlier this week, and she said she spend over a hundred dollars.... ON CLOTHES! She has no real school supplies yet.

[Lindaloo]

school uniforms are expensive too. this year i had to buy all new uniforms for my daughter. i had to buy my son all new uniform pants because he grew taller over the summer. i spent over 100 bucks on school supplies alone. my son wanted a pair of clarks shoes and they were 107 bucks. my tax rebate check helped out alot, so i let him have the shoes. my daughters hair is almost to her behind in one length, so no hair cut there. lol.

[David]

My school doesn't have school uniforms, thank goodness. I think it's a bad idea IMO.

[Guest]

Did any of you receive the IRS $400.00 rebates?

[JetMaxx]

I never spent a lot on school clothes....but my little sister did

[Lindaloo]

Did any of you receive the IRS $400.00 rebates?

i did. spent it on school clothes.

[Guest]

I got a refund check - put it in savings. Already had money in the budget for school stuff. Bought school supplies for 2nd grader. No uniforms here. But she had a birthday in July and got alot of new outfits - so I put most of the up and told her they were for school.

I buy the basics - shoes (walmart) cause she grows out of them so fast, socks, undergarments and hair accessories. I haven't had her hair cut since last April - we are letting it grow out as Chas says. So that's in the budget for this weekend!

Other than that - Down here in Texas - I don't purchase any of the winter clothing until Christmas time because they wear shorts up until October or November and its not cold enough for sweaters and longsleeves until then.

[Miss Mary]

Glad to hear most don't go overboard either. Buying winter clothing now makes no sense to me! Our refund check is gone, put towards our recent vacation. That would have come in handy but we'll manage. I just don't see the need to go nuts or in debt so each daughter can have 10 new outfits each. Crazy if you ask me! Now if we win the lotto.......LOL One daughter's friend has a $500 monthly budget for clothing. All year long! Thankfully that daughter is a tomboy, she couldn't even try to spend that much on clothes each month! She'd try to weasel some out for baseball cards, posters, etc. LOL

We did just buy school supplies at Target tonight. At the Middle school the PTA has put together grocery sized bags of supplies, according to each team's requirements. It was tempting and I heard the price was very reasonable. Around $11. But my daughter, the tomboy again, wanted to choose her notebooks, binder, etc. I said okay - Target here we come. They did have good prices. I'm sure we didn't spend $11 though......it was probably higher. And she talked me into a few items not on the list. I expected that.