How We Do… School Supplies Shopping
Stocking up for the new school year
What do you pay for school supplies? For how many kids?
It usually turns out to be about $50 per kid per year. I’ve got seven kids in school this year, so it’s not cheap!
–Yechiel and Shifra Jacobson
Altogether, it’s probably $300 to $400 for four school age kids.
–Boruch and Shira Berger
On average, it comes out to around $50 per child.
–Heshy and Chanie Michaels
Last year it cost under $200 for three kids, but I think I didn’t have to buy any new backpacks, which is a huge expense. I’m expecting it to be at least $200 this year, for four kids. That also includes getting some supplies for the house and some knick-knacks for the younger kids so they don’t feel left out.
–Ahuva Cohen
It’s usually about $100 to $200 total… But then on top of that, there’s uniforms and shoes, seforim, books, etc.
–Baily W.
I remember when I had six or seven kids going to school at once, and how completely overwhelming and expensive this was. I was so excited one year because I had an unexpected $1,000 — and then really devastated a week later when I had to spend it all on school supplies. With only two kids in elementary school, it’s much less overwhelming now. Cost is about $200 total.
–Miriam Y.
My best guess would be about $20 per kid, not including their backpacks. My kids’ teachers also sometimes offer to purchase supplies if you send in the money in advance, which is always so amazingly appreciated.
–Brachi Silver
I’m shopping for three school kids. It’s not too bad, maybe $30 each. I try to shop during the year and stock up on things we always need, like glue sticks.
–Rachel
This year I had to shop for six children. And it costs A LOT! Or at least it feels that way…
–Leah Lowy
School supplies is easily $500 minimum for my four kids, and then there’s other things they need for opening day too, like new shoes, uniforms, etc.
–Chaim Stein
What about big-ticket items like seforim and textbooks? How about briefcases? How often do you replace those?
The younger kids usually get new briefcases every year. The older kids will buy a designer briefcase (between $100 to $150) and then they have to use it for a few years.
–Heshy and Chanie Michaels
I’m lucky that this year my older kids are in high school; it’s elementary and middle school where we have to lay out a lot for seforim and books. I think my total cost this year was $80.
When it comes to backpacks, I prefer to invest in a really good quality one with a lifetime guarantee. It’s expensive, but then I never have to buy one again. I bought Adidas backpacks and told my kids I expect them to bring them to their chuppahs!
–Baily W.
Seforim for two kids in elementary school cost over $150 this year.
–Miriam Y.
We don’t have to buy textbooks, just an occasional sefer. My high school son needed a new Gemara, and it cost around $40.
–Rachel
Do you shop around? Clip coupons?
I do shop around; I start looking right when school is over. I find Walmart and Target are the cheapest for school supplies. Whatever I can’t find there I’ll look for in the Jewish stores.
–Boruch and Shira Berger
I do shop around a bit; I go to Target, Walmart and Staples.
–Heshy and Chanie Michaels
Nah, I don’t want to drag out an already annoying task. Once I’m in the store, I do it all at once, even if I could’ve gotten some things cheaper somewhere else.
–Ahuva Cohen
I usually go to Walmart and Meijer — they generally have the best prices overall. I don’t find it’s worth it to drive and shop around. Definitely not at today’s gas prices. I like to get it all done in one trip.
–Baily W.
No. This is a job I hate. I want it over and done with as fast as possible.
–Miriam Y.
No, I don’t have time to shop around.
–Brachi Silver
I don’t shop around, I’m a last-minute type of person.
–Rachel
I don’t shop around for the best prices, but I do go to one shop that I feel is economical and also has a variety of ranges for the same item, and then choose from what’s available. And I keep in mind that sometimes the cheapest items aren’t worth it if they’ll need to be replaced very often.
–Leah Lowy
My wife tries to shop around, but it’s the time that’s not affordable. Traffic here is terrible and it’s not always worth it to spend hours in the car to save a few cents on a better deal for school supplies. We usually just take whatever is close by. We’re happier if it’s decently priced, but if we need it, we need it.
–Chaim Stein
Do you shop online or in person?
Online. I find it easier to shop around like that. I just google what I need, look for the lowest price, and buy it. There’s only so much time in a day and I only have so much energy, so I don’t want to spend too much time on shopping. I’ve also found that if I buy online, I end up spending much less money than if I shop in person.
–Yechiel and Shifra Jacobson
Both.
–Boruch and Shira Berger
I shop in person for most of the supplies, although I usually buy one or two items online, like pencil cases or briefcases.
–Heshy and Chanie Michaels
The first Covid year (Fall 2020) we ordered school supplies from a catalogue. It was awesome not to have to stand in the hot, crowded stores. The prices were decent, and I’m looking to do that again. I do sometimes order things on Amazon that are better quality for better prices, like bulk packages of erasers, pencils, or glue sticks. I’ll stock up for the year on basics like that.
–Ahuva Cohen
If I see a deal online in July or August, I’ll sometimes get it, and if I ever see an amazing, super-good deal (any time of the year) I’ll buy a bunch. It will end up helping me with back-to-school shopping the following year. But usually I prefer one in-person trip to buy everything we need.
–Baily W.
I used to do it in person every year and would come home frustrated (what on earth is the difference between a three-prong folder and a no-prong folder and why does anyone care about prongs?!) and exhausted. During Covid, I switched to ordering everything online and it makes my life so much easier.
–Miriam Y.
I’ll just go on Amazon or any website that offers quick shipping a few days before school starts and order everything we need. Since I buy last minute, I don’t always wind up with great deals and just make do with whatever’s still available.
–Rachel
I usually do a Target run for everything I need, and then order whatever I couldn’t find on Amazon.
–Brachi Silver
We usually shop in person.
–Leah Lowy
My wife does both; I do in person only.
–Chaim Stein
Do you go through the stuff from last year and make the kids use that?
I do try to encourage my kids to use some of the stuff from the year before. Some things are beat up and it’s embarrassing, I get that, but if it’s nice markers in a nice pencil case, no one can really tell.
–Yechiel and Shifra Jacobson
Kids like new stuff for school and I’m fine with that, but there’s also no reason to toss everything out unless it’s really in bad shape. Any leftover markers, pencils, etc. will go into our pencil box at home.
–Boruch and Shira Berger
Aside from knapsacks for the older kids, we buy new stuff every year.
–Heshy and Chanie Michaels
For sure. We reuse pencil cases, scissors, and binders that are still intact. I think it’s a part of chinuch, and helps educate the kids about expenses, budgets, being resourceful, etc.
–Ahuva Cohen
All my kids bring home these huge garbage bags on the last day of school, and we go through them to see if anything is useable for the next year. Some stuff, like scissors and hole punchers, things like that, are always good, but my feeling is that there’s something to be said for starting a new year with brand new stuff. There’s nothing like new pens, pencils and notebooks.
–Baily W.
If I can find it. By the last day of school, everything is flying. I just buy whatever’s on the list. If we have extra, so be it.
–Miriam Y.
If anything is usable, I don’t have an issue with that, but we usually don’t have much that’s usable.
–Brachi Silver
I don’t find that the kids come home with that much at the end of the year, it’s mostly just pencils.
–Rachel
ABSOLUTELY!
–Leah Lowy
I would but I don’t think we usually do. My wife is particular about this, she feels that for a new school year everything should be fresh and new.
–Chaim Stein
When do you do your supplies shopping?
I aim for some time in the summer, but a few days before school there are always kids who say they’re missing things they need.
–Yechiel and Shifra Jacobson
I wait for the sales; I get the alerts in my inbox.
–Boruch and Shira Berger
At the beginning of the summer, I buy the basics — glue, crayons, markers, and looseleaf paper. A week before school starts, usually between camp and school, I’ll take the kids to the store to get the rest of the stuff they need.
–Heshy and Chanie Michaels
Beginning of the summer, otherwise the stores run out! (Been there, done that.) I replenish during the year as needed.
–Ahuva Cohen
Once we get the school supplies list (until I got really smart, and began saving the lists from year to year because really, how much do they change anyhow?!). We go through it in July, wash the backpacks so they’re ready to go, write the list of what we still need, and then make a huge family trip to buy all our supplies one day in late July or early August.
–Baily W.
As soon as I get the supplies list, I’ll sit down, go online and order everything.
–Miriam Y.
Definitely, only right before school starts. I wait for the teachers to send home lists.
–Brachi Silver
At the sales the week before school starts.
–Rachel
During the summer holidays, at the back-to-school sales.
–Leah Lowy
It depends on what else is going on in our lives; sometimes we shop in the middle of the summer. Sometimes it winds up being right before school starts.
–Chaim Stein
Do you find the school supplies list is accurate, or do your kids come home with an updated list on the second day of school?
Yes! Pretty much every year. I find it really annoying. It’s not the cost — maybe another $50, if that. What really frustrates me is having to go back to the store — which means either finding child care or shlepping the kids with me. I believe that when a teacher wants the kids to have an additional item that wasn’t on the original list, they should have the school bulk-order it and divide the cost between the parents. Much more convenient and probably cheaper for everyone.
–Baily W.
Yes, they do. Sometimes it’s just random items that don’t cost more than $20. It always makes me want to scream! I don’t enjoy school supply shopping and always feel this sense of accomplishment when it’s done. Now you’re telling me it’s NOT done?! Yuck.
–Miriam Y.
Not always, but sometimes. I find it especially happens in elementary school. It costs maybe $15 to $20, but what’s hard is having to go to the stores to look for a particular item, or worse, a binder in a particular color, when the school supplies have been cleaned out of the stores already.
–Rachel
(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 926)
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