Kids School Expenses

[mom-from-missouri]

Is it me, or is school getting more expensive. Plus, I have noticed that all the teachers now assign homework that requires the internet-they just assume you have it, so that is another expense of $14 a month for us. So far this year for 3 elementry kids:
Field Trip Money $32
Display boards $24
Cheerleading Uniforms $240 (our balance after the fundraiser)
Volleyball socks $6
Special required gym shoes $60
Food ingredents to cook a food for international fair $36
money for items for auction for school $48
money for items put into operation shoe box $20
back to school supplies $75
school uniforms $0 (all were able to wear last years uniforms)
Money to get into volleyball games $12
volleyball camp $35
school pictures $60 (got cheapest package at $20 each)
school pictures (in sports/cheerleading uniforms) $60

I don't remember my parents having to chuck all this up. My school pictures were $7 for the package. Uniforms were handed down each year-they belonged to the school, not the kids.

Anyone else thing its worse than it used to be??

[tinapbeana]

i have no kids, but as an avid lover of office supplies i frequently check out the 'back to school' lists the schools put together and WHAT THE FOO!!! i was lucky if i got a new 3 ring binder and 2 packs of paper in august! the lists these schools make are a page long no matter what age the kid is, and it's got everything under the sun on it! makes me wonder if they're not getting a kick-back from the office supply stores...

pictures have always been pricey, and my family just wasn't a picture loving bunch so we rarely bought them. we had no school uniforms, and my soccer/my sister's volleyball and cheerleading uniforms were provided by the school.

[Aleta]

I totally agree with you. When my brother told me how much the school pictures were; I thought for sure that he was picking up some expensive set. Like you, mine were less expensive too. I don't know how you guys do it. It's probably a good time to start getting kids out of a lot of activities. When my sons played baseball, it literally drained us, not to mention the time we spent there. The time was fine, it was the constant lay out of the funds.

[mom-from-missouri]

Actually do a certain extent, they sometimes do get a kickback from the office supply places. If you tell them what school it is for, office depot will enter the school code and the school gets back 5%.
This is just another reason we will homeschool next year. I will still have my kids in activities, as they can go back and still play sports & cheer at their old school, as they coop with homeschoolers, but some of other expenses will stop. I can take their school pictures myself, or get the walmart $4 specials... No gym shoes required! We can make our own display boards from the large cardboard my husband can get free at work from his dumpster!

[Aleta]

Good for you. I have heard so many people who are so happy about their decision to home school. Good luck!

[boefixepa]

This part of the reason I will homeschool too...

[markio26]

we take lexie and chase to wmt for their pics... lexie's school pix are never that good, so, we buy the cheaper grouping...her back to school supplies were $100, her soccer outfit was $100.00 and i paid $50 for backpacks and misc... we always pay these things for her... we also bought 3 dresses, underwear and shoes... her parents paid about the same amounts for other expenses, cheerleading, gym clothes, school clothes, paper and supplies, internet programs... yes, school is expensive more than ever now...

[PrincessPerky]

School is more expensive but education doesn't have to be.....

my kid can 'turn in' any report writen on the back of a grocery list, no one will mind...

the wonderful art can be done with scraps of magazines.

and so long as the shoes fit right we can walk out in whatever floats out boat (off to go do 'gym' right now...otherwise known as a walk in the neighborhood to see all the recent christmas decorations....best part of walking in the fall, always changing!)

[TBH]

My son is in preschool so I'm reading this thread with a sense of dread.

My sister (whose kids are teenagers) once confided to me what she spends monthly on her kids' hobbies and school-related activities. They go to a good public school and do mostly music stuff, not sports. She spends almost as much as I make in a month!

Scary. I'm already practicing. When my son says, "mom, can I take piano AND sax lessons?" I'll say NO. When he says "can I play baseball AND basketball?" NO. He gets one hobby. Maybe two. No more.

[nanamom]

School prices are absurd. I homeschool for alot of reasons. This is just one more.

[fairy74]

I agree that homeschooling has many benefits and is more economical. If for some reason it is not a possibility, I don't think it ever hurts to ask the school if they have scholarships for different things, if your finances are really tight. Too often people are afraid to ask!

[boefixepa]

They hold fun raiser sometimes, but when push comes to shove...many kids can not participate because they can not afford it. I worked in high school, but if you want to participate you can not work because you have to stay after school to participate...it's a catch 22. I knew some kids who worked all summer just to have the money to do things like sports. I don't know about you, but the ones I saw in those kinds of things were always the kids whose partents had the money. Sad, espcially for those who did not have the $$ but really would have done well.

[beebop25blue25]

I agree, it's outrageous now than when I was in school and I have 5 kids, 4 of which are in school!! It seems every day or two they need money for this or money for that! Whether it be for sports, supplies, books, fields trips, drawing names for christmas, school pics, etc, etc, etc, it seems it's always something! Sometimes I think the school is more about the money than the education, especially when they have these fundraisers and expect these kids to sell big money items! It's crazy!

[DEN]

These are your kids we are talking about here! They deserve the best education possible regardless of the costs. Who they meet in school and the network they build off of that is key to the success for the rest of their lives. You can't possibly argue that the education that a child gets at Xavier or Deerfield and the network they build there doesn't more than make up for the cost

[mom-from-missouri]

I disagree. The fact that my kid has to have $65 white Hanes tennis shoes for gym class 1 day a week will not have an impact on the rest of their life. Nor do my children go to Xavier or Deerfield-they attend a small Christian school of under 100 children and quite a few of these kids they attend church with so they can "network there", as much as a 3rd grader "networks".
I had to spend $8 for each for a special poster display board for their country projects. I think my child would have learned just as well being able to do it on a $1 posterboard.

[Diolla]

I disagree, my kid is in High School and using your list here would be his expenses-

Field Trip Money $32 ($0, he took $10 from his school money just in case)

Display boards $24
($6, on sale at Hobby Lobby, he lost 10 pts for not using the 'proper materials' and I raised he**)

Cheerleading Uniforms $240 (our balance after the fundraiser)
(Doesn't like sports $175 my portion after fundraiser for optional choir trip to Chicago, original cost $425. My kid is allowed to do TWO fundraisers per year and we go all out I refuse to let him bug my co-workers and church friends more often than that)

Volleyball socks $6
(Black pants, White Shirt and tie for under choir robe $25)

Special required gym shoes $60
(As in display boards if they don't like his shoes they can buy them)


Food ingredents to cook a food for international fair $36
(Did anyone else chip in? I fed 50 people at my church last weekend for less than this)

money for items for auction for school $48
(Sorry, not in the budget)

money for items put into operation shoe box $20
(I gave at work)

back to school supplies $75
(Last years backpack $0, two 3 ring binders $5, Paper, Pencils and pens $5, pocket organizer to keep assignments in $12=$22)

school uniforms $0 (all were able to wear last years uniforms)
Money to get into volleyball games $12
volleyball camp $35

school pictures $60 (got cheapest package at $20 each)
(skipped these this year, they are usually crummy anyway)

school pictures (in sports/cheerleading uniforms) $60
(okay, sprung for a yearbook this year $45 choir and activity pictures will be in there)

Most of the teachers understand where I am coming from and are reasonable once I lay it out. DS goes to public school as the private ones around here aren't any better. I couldn't homeschool even if I had the time because I am a lousy teacher and I don't understand most of the stuff he brings home. DS has learn't to plan ahead if he wants something special for school. He is not into sports but does alot in the performing arts. They go out alot afterwards and he has learn't that the money I give him for school is not infinite and I won't bail him out if he overspends and has to walk home from school after spending his bus money at Pizza Hut.

Cheerleading is expensive, always has been, when I went only the rich kids could afford it. Volleyball seems reasonable about what soccer cost when DS played. I had a friend who called around and got a bunch of things donated to her kids school auction, didn't cost her a dime except for some time and gas to go pick them up.

Except for the optional stuff and the shoes your expenses seem right in line with any of the private schools around here.

[PrincessPerky]

Den, err, education is TOP priority in my house, but fancy shoes..nope, networking...for a 2nd grader? nope. reading at age 2? yep top priority and free.

as for not understanding the material, did it ever occur to anyone that the public shcool you are hoping will educate your kid is the same one that failed to help you understand? (or if you did understand it then it was a bit of a waste since you forgot it already.....)

[beebop25blue25]

I just plunked over $120.00 for my 9th grader to play basketball!! OUCH!!

It's for his shoes, uniform, sweats, and some other gear!

[PRICEPLUS]

Scientific calculator for math class. All the extra books for English class. All the money for the class trips. The start up with binders, notebooks, etc....

Then of course there are the althletics....tennis racket and equipment. There are the clothes for the new school year. Sneakers for gym class.

There are extras like piano and viola lessons. Occasionally there are tutors for the rough spots in things like chemistry!

I am of the opinion that the only thing we leave behind that is valuable is our children. I spend whatever is needed. Just my .02 cents!

[PrincessPerky]

Hmm, I bet most homeschooled kids read most of the classics 'for English class', and remember more, but they could easily borrow them from the library (or in many cases read mom/dads copy...)

I read animal farm, not because it was required, but because I liked it, re-read it once or twice too. I was required to read 'the scarlett letter' hated it, barely remember it (got an A on the test though)

Whatever is needed could be alot less...and for some would be better as less (think spoiled rich kid, some deprivation is good)