| Welcome to Livonianeighbors.com. We hope you enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. To ensure your privacy, never use personal information in your screen name or email address ("janedoe@hotmail.com" or "Billysmom" for example). Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
| Column: Tips for back-to-school spending; GR Press-August 3, 2010 | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 4 2010, 03:01 PM (238 Views) | |
| Administrator | Aug 4 2010, 03:01 PM Post #1 |
|
Administrator
|
Column: Tips for back-to-school spending Published: Tuesday, August 03, 2010, 9:00 AM Julie Mack | Kalamazoo Gazette The average American family with school-age chilldren spends about $600 on back-to-school shopping, according to the National Retail Federation. As retailers beckon parents and kids to their stores this month, here are 10 tips for spending those dollars wisely: 1. Start with a game plan — make a list and set a budget. “Rather than getting into an argument with your older child about whether a backpack with headphones is essential because ‘everybody is getting one,’ try setting a budget for supplies,” suggests greatschools.com. “It will help your child set priorities, learn how to manage money, and start saving his allowance for the items your budget won’t allow.” Adds the website: “You’ll be doing your child’s teacher a favor if you stick to supplies without gimmicks. Pencil sharpeners that light up are distractions in class, says Jane Ann Robertson, Arizona’s 2004 Teacher of the Year and a GreatSchools consultant. ‘Keep supplies to the necessary and useful versus fancy and fun.’ “ 2. Think about timing. It may be wise to hold off purchases of specialized supplies -- such as a graphing calculator — until kids find out exactly what they’ll need. Also, students may want to keep some of their clothing budget in reserve so they can scope out trends once school starts. Julie Mack 3. Take inventory. Sort through supplies and items such as backpacks, lunchboxes and shoes to find out what needs replacement. 4. Look for bargains. Lots of stores have great back-to-school sales on clothes and supplies, and this is a time of year when it’s really worth the time to go through sale fliers and clip coupons. Also, keep a list of needed items in your purse in case you see a sale. 5. Stock up. All those back-to-school sales offer a great opportunity to ensure the family has enough paper, pencils, glue sticks, folders and notebooks to last the school year. 6. Shop for secondhand clothes. On a tight budget this year? Check secondhand stores for great bargains. As I know from personal experience, even picky teenage girls may be surprised at what they find. 7. Know when to spend the money for quality. Shoes, a warm winter coat and a sturdy backpack are among those oft-used items for which quality counts. 8. If buying electronics, look for student discounts. Macintosh, for instance, is offering a free iPod for college students who buy a new Mac computer. 9. Let your kid pick out his or her own clothes. Of course, you may need to set limits on price or style. But you don’t want to spend money on clothes your child will refuse to wear. 10. Help your school while you shop. Some stores have programs to donate a portion of the money spent on your purchases to your school. Check with a store’s service desk for details. Julie Mack’s column on students and school success appears Tuesdays in the Kalamazoo Gazette. Contact her at (269) 388-8578 or jmack@kalamazoogazette.com http://www.mlive.com/opinion/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/08/column_tips_for_back-to-school.html |
![]() |
|
| « Previous Topic · Livonia Neighbors Forum · Next Topic » |





