I’m paying double for some school skirts because of the designer shopping bag? 

Ruchami: You’re turning another necessity into a huge expense that we can’t afford.

Zeesy: This isn’t about luxury. It’s about dignity.

Ruchami

IFI’d thought back-to-school shopping was a challenge when my kids were young, I now know that shopping for teens and beyond is ten times more of an experience.

And this year? With a son and a daughter off to Israel, we’d been breathing shopping and suitcases for around a month. Even before I started with the school supplies for my other kids, the expenses were staggering.

By the time I got around to the Target run — lists from three elementary schools, one mesivta (after the seforim list that we’d gone through the day before — not cheap), and my high school daughter Chaviva’s annotated list (version 1, what the school suggests, version 2, what Chaviva’s friends insist is what everyone does, please ignore the school list, Ma, no one comes with those cheap-looking binders anymore, it’s mortifying) — I was operating on burnout level.

We made it through the lists — mostly. The cart full of hole punchers, highlighters, the extra EXTRA fine pens that Chaviva insisted on, and those little sticker things for hole punches came, somehow, to over $200 — and we weren’t even done. They were out of two-pocket folders with prongs and college-ruled paper.

“Good thing we’re nearly done with back-to-school shopping, I guess,” I told Yossi that evening, with a sigh. “Just the girls’ uniforms and shoes for everyone, and then I think we’re done with summer expenses.”

“And then the Tishrei expenses start.” He stared at the receipt. “Seriously, this is for some pencils and highlighters?”

I passed a hand over my eyes. “Yeah, thank inflation.”

“Whew.” Yossi let out a breath. “So… nearly done, huh?”

“Yeah. Back-to-school. Then it’s Yom Tov. And then it’s just tuition and bills and groceries and the bar mitzvah.”

Yossi gave a short, humorless laugh. “Just. Right.”