Parent bloggers networkhas started blog blasts again, and when i heard this one was back to school, i jumped right on it. they’ve teamed up with capital one finanacial education .
With the economy being so bad, and not having money to throw around it gets hard to but back to school clothing and accessories. My daughter and husband will both be going back to school on Monday, but with new school supplies and old clothes. We have a very limited income, so the fancy gadgets and phones don’t even get a look, instead we try and patch holes in clothes and spruce up sneakers for a new year, at least until the budget can fit those items. I always make sure the school supplies are bought first, those are more important than a pair of new jeans.
I’m teaching my daughter how to save money with going back to school by packing her own lunch. we also have tried hitting bargain stores and thrift stores for clothes. you can get some great deals and even find new clothes. We are learning about sales ads and looking for the best deal, we managed to buy a pair of sneakers at pay-less for $15 and got an extra pair free.
Capital One has a great online learning tool to help you with moneywise etool, which has a section all about talking to kids about money. capital one financial education launcher is a great tool and also has sections like building good credit, rebuilding credit, managing money, and saving to build your wealth. It’s a great tool for helping get you on the right track for budgeting back to school shopping.
Teachers spend $1200 a year out of pocket, so its good to tell your children to remember to bring their own pencils and paper to help save money for the teacher, or even donate supplies instead of giving an apple.
this blog post was written for a contest with http://www.capitalone.com and parent bloggers network’s blog blast
You make good suggestions, but some of it gets harder as they get holder – particularly when they hit high school. Even in the public school system, the cost of the “must buys” can be pretty hefty – and by that I mean the books & supplies, then there are SAT prep classes, SATs themselves, AP exams, and much, much more.
I will say that I insisted on taking on my teen sons with me shopping – painfully slowly (for him) – and I talked him through not only the sale rack at Target (versus full price), but through the grocery store. Each time I explained why Product X over Y, did the math aloud (that I always do in my head), and he saw – with astonishment – the $200 that it cost, for one week, no meat.
If nothing else, I’m hoping awareness is of some value. As for anything else? I have no solution, only more gray hair.