Tuesday, August 5, 2008

School Supplies.....



I just came back to work from Hell-mart....where I spend $93 on school supplies (including paint shirts, beach towel(kindergartner), socks and underwear, 2 new lunch boxes, plus boxes of Ziploc bags and boxes of Kleenex.....that is for two kids.....I still have not got Aaron his gym shoes and book bag....

I stuck to the list....100%..I may have gotten extra pencils, crayons and glue, but generally, we have to replace those anyway....of course, I had to get them both the cool Spider man/Batman folders and notebooks....I can't have them go off to school without the latest in "cool" school supplies.....

Still....I was not extravagant at all....yet, I am still shocked at the final bill...and I still have to pay book fees tomorrow, plus the remainder of Max's $1800 all day kindergarten fee....

I am lucky in the fact that I have hubby, who has a great job...his Mom helps out with Max...(she doesn't do anything for Aaron or my other two boys)....they are not technically "grandchildren" to her, since they are not blood grandchildren...(don't get me started on that)..but, she does help with Max, and that is a big big savings...of which I appreciate it very much....but, it makes me wonder...how do the single parents do it? Especially those that don't get child support..even for those that do, I imagine it is still very hard.

We are going to try and save some money this year though...by packing the kids lunches, instead of spending $30 a week for both of them to eat breakfast/lunch at school...we did it for Aaron, as just a matter of convenience...but, with both of them this year, it adds up to a little too much. So, I will be shopping this weekend for supplies to make lunches as well.

Do any of you Mom's out there have any cool lunch box ideas you can share? I need help, as both of these two are very picky little eaters....

Ideas, suggestions? How many of you and your kids are ready to start the new school year?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Actually, you didn't do too bad. Do you have a Walgreens nearby? This time of year they are always offering stuff for pennies for school supplies. I get as many as I can of each item to keep around the house (this week it was highlighters, pencils and pens for $0.09 per package).

For lunch, we do tortilla wraps (pretty much any sandwich fixins in a tortilla), meat/cheese wraps (a piece of meat wrapped around a cheese stick), occassionally Lunchables (when they're on sale) or homemade lunchables (just some crackers, cheese and meat cut to cracker size), leftover pizza, yogurt (you can freeze it so it stays cold and is thawed by lunch time or use an ice pack), and sandwich cut into different shapes (tastes better and they're more likely to eat it if it's a cool shape). For sides we do pretzels, pringles, grapes, baby carrots, apple pieces w/ peanut butter, granola bars, fruit leather (the 100% fruit ones). And then they get a snack/dessert- rice krispie treats, 2 cookies, mini size candy,etc.

DIXIECHICK said...

Wow..Lori...thanks for the tips...sounds like a lot of great ideas...especially cutting the sandwich into cool shapes....fruit/sandwiches/side, with some sort of dessert..sounds easy enough, if they will just eat it...I absolutely hate for food to be thrown away.

i beati said...

they had special there though right ??we were in and I saw lots of specials . it
's topo much - I think put it aside all year birthdays Christmas sales and avoid this race to the start.. ??sk

i beati said...

I saw some lunch box blogs once will search http://southernfood.about.com/cs/lunchboxideas/a/school_lunch.htm

Anonymous said...

I don't have kids but I always enjoyed my schools lunch. It was well balanced and typically yummy. Of course on the days when they served ham and boxed potatoes I would get a Reese's from the vending machine.

I don't know how people afford kids. I can barely make it on my own, and I don't feel I spend a lot on myself. I cannot imagine diapers formula clothes then school!! Kudos to you moms (and great dads)!!

Daphne said...

LittleMan goes back Thursday =( I feel like we did nothing this summer.

I agree with Lori up there, Little man loves when I cut the sandwiches in shapes. His favorite is the dinosaur one I have.

I usually put a sandwich in, either ham, chicken or pb&j. Other stuff I may use: A banana or apple. Pudding, applesauce, fruit bowls, pringles, cheetos, cheeze its, grapes, fruit roll-ups, peanut butter on crackers, baby carrots....

A Novelist said...

OMG, it simply amazes me how many supplies kids need for school nowadays. Back in my day, all I needed was a small cigar box filled with crayons, rubber cement, an eraser, a few pens and pencils, Elmer's glue and a notebook on the side. LOL. And it seems like I never have to purchase "supplies" anymore. After being in the corporate world for as long as I have, if I need something, I have been guilty of taking a pen here and a legal pad there from my office. LOL. ;)

Gabi said...

Yep, I can attest...going the single route is difficult....but sometimes the alternative is worse!!!! I think you did pretty goo for supplies. I usually spend about that for my two...

Lunches....we do alot of wraps and buy bulk here and there for special things they want. I also freeze PBJs. You put a little PB on each side of break then jelly in the middle so it doesn't seep through the bread...then freeze and you use just like those uncrustables at the store... :-)

DIXIECHICK said...

Sandy....I got some good deals...still expensive bill though.

Flat...Yeah, I remember our school lunches were pretty good, of course, we had salad bar, vending machines too...but my oldest tends to get it, then throw it away...just can't afford for him to do that, so I will pack his favorites, that way I know he will eat.

Daphne...I so know what you are talking about. We didn't do anything this summer either..time and finances prevented that...now, summer is over....I'm kind of sad about that...I will have to get some large "cutters" to cut up there sandwiches as well. Make it fun, they are more likely to eat it, huh? Thanks for the tips!


Raquel...I hear you...same here...yeah, I have um...grabbed a pen, notepad or something from the office on occasion..shhhhh!

Gabi...I understand that...thanks for the tips!

Sicilian said...

Dix. . . . I am well out of the lunch box era, but my kids did do lunches. Microwaves at their private schools made for a lot more choices.
In Texas at public schools you would bring all your school supplies on a designated night. . . . the teacher's parent volunteer . . . which was me sometimes. . . took all the cool stuff you bought. . . . and put it in a commune type closet. . . . where everything was doled out. Which means if you bought your kid good stuff. . . . not generic. . . they could end up with crap stuff. . . . I learned fast to buy cheap stuff because it was a crap shoot to what your kid would have. Of course, the commune needed to be replenished by the end of the year so it seemed that it never ended.
I am a little surprised to hear of book fees in public schools and $1800 Kinder fees.
Remember it all passes to fast. . . . smile and try to endure.
Ciao