Back to School Cent$
Posted by cassie on Sunday, 22 July, 2007 @ 12:08 pm
While I have many years to go before worrying (or is it cheering) about the whole back to school thing, I thought I would pass on these delightful hints from another site geared towards helping us all live a better life without spending so much.
- Wait for the list to come out and stick to it, otherwise you might buy things you don’t need. Remember, the Bank of Mom doesn’t pay for frills. Any extras the kids want will have to be funded from their own cash reserves. I do understand that it is nice for kids to have “hip” back-to-school supplies. I look at yard sales and thrift stores for brand-name finds. For instance, I recently found a gently used Barbie backpack and a Barbie lunch box and no one would know that I paid $1.00 each instead of the $32 that Becky Johnson’s mom paid. Who says stay at home mom’s don’t make any money?
- Don’t buy back to school clothes. Children don’t need an entirely new wardrobe every fall. Some mom’s act as if aliens clothes-napped their kids’ clothes the night before school and the fashion police will come arrest them if they don’t buy the latest designer clothes right away. The kids wore clothes all year long, didn’t they? If they need something like a new pair of shoes or new jeans then buy what they need, but don’t just buy a new wardrobe because it’s the thing to do.
- Use back to school sales to your advantage. If you know your kids go through a package of socks, underwear or jeans every six months then stock up while they are on sale. The same is true of crayons, paper, notebooks, backpacks and lunch boxes. My son went through two backpacks and two lunch boxes last year, so this year we will buy two while they are on sale instead of waiting until the middle of the year when they are full price. We will also be checking garage sales between now and then to find any good deals on those items. Don’t be tempted to buy things that you wouldn’t normally use, though, just because they’re on sale.
- Go through last year’s school supplies to see which things are still usable. If my student has a working calculator, the Bank of Mom will not extend credit for a new one.
- Limit activities to one at a time. Activity fees can add up fast. One at a time is the rule at our house. If you can’t afford the activity, it doesn’t hurt for the kids to use their own money to pay for it. The best way to teach them money management is to let them manage their own money when they have nothing to lose, instead of after they have maxed out the credit cards that someone persuaded then to sign up for in college.
Read the rest of the article here.
If you are one of those DIY, handy parents that can actually create a scrapbook on paper not just in their mind (like I do. mine NEVER look how I want) here is a link that might interest you. This blogger has posted some 
Ok this isn’t necessarily baby related (unless of course you buy flip flops for them there) but I wanted to post it anyway.
Playskool Toddler “NoSpill” Sippy Cups have been recalled because young children can chew through the plastic spout of the sippy cup, which can pose a choking hazard. The firm has received 36 reports of toddlers chewing through the plastic spout of the sippy cup, resulting in one choking incident and three near-choking incidents. No injuries have been reported.
Toddler Clog Shoes made by Payless ShoeSource, Inc., of Topeka, Kan. have been recalled because the plastic rivets used to attach the strap to the shoe can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children. This recall involves the following character-themed clog styles: Dora the Explorer, Spongebob Squarepants, Hello Kitty, Coasters® Lighted Car Compel, and Cambridge Mary-Jane. The shoes were sold in toddler sizes 5 through 10. The flexible shoes have air ventilation holes on the top and/or side, and plastic rivets attached to the strap. Shoe sizes are printed on the sole of the shoe. No other sizes, styles or models are included in the recall. Consumers should take the shoes away from young children immediately and return them to the store where purchased for a refund or exchange.