Any parents willing to be interviewed about back to school shopping?

Hello parents of Loudoun!

I am writing an article for next week's Loudoun Times-Mirror about Back to School shopping. Any parents who would like to be interviewed about shopping during the recession? Are you doing anything differently to cut back / save money? If so please get in touch, you can e-mail me at ecoe@timespapers.com (Make sure to include your full name) or call me at 703-777-1111 x 1317. Thanks a lot.

 

I wouldn't have much to say in an interview but I can say that Costco.com had the lowest prices for school supplies.

 

Save the headache, time, and gas and pay the PTO (or that Teacher's Apple store) to do those pre-packaged supply kits.

 

Ah, but I'm obsessive enough that I enjoyed doing the research.

I created a spreadsheet of the supply list and went online to price each item. Staples, Office Depot, Target, A.C. Moore, etc. The prices on the Costco website (NOT the physical store) included shipping and were still lower than the others on what they had in stock. There were only a couple of things they didn't have or that were impractical to purchase from Costco (like I only need a couple of packs of baby wipes, not a gazillion like Costco sells).

Don't I have a life, you ask? Well, yes, but it's a bit boring.

 

I can totally appreciate saving some money by buying online, and saving some time by buying the pre-packaged set...but....my kids LOVE to shop for school supplies and it a fun ritual for us! My sis-in-law takes the kids and their list every year and they get very excited about school doing it! The things that she can't find with them I take them out to get.

 

I used to think I didn't need all those baby wipes either, but I always leave a pkg in the car because you never know when you'll have sticky hands and need a wipe. It's worked out great and I found another use for them. Also works great for cleaning up the Starbucks I've spilled in my cupholder.

 

It should do without saying.. but

Don't try to equip your kid by raiding the supply cabinet in a government facility.

They really have no sense of humour about that.

I have known people to get in to serious trouble over this.

 

ha ha, Villager, I did the same thing and enjoyed it as well. Most of my stuff came from Target, a total bill of $61 for two kids, and saved about $30 over the pre packaged ones, plus our items are a little snazzier than the pre packaged. I did splurge on a binder however, but that's included in my total. I'm sure the PTO could use the $30, but we really had fun shopping...but we did it early before it's all gone.

 

your PTO is probably not making any/much money off those boxes - it's the company that supplies them racking up the difference

 

oh shoot! I haven't even BEGUN school shopping... hope there's more than Barie notebooks left- The Boy will have a FIT.

 

I thought that chart in your article was really good info!

 

I am sooo enjoying not shopping for school supplies this year ... I do, however, have 3 college tuitions to pay!

 

I am looking forward to the commercial (I think Office Depot) where it has the parents shopping for back to school, with the music "its the most wonderful time of the year" playing in the background.

 

Story is done, http://www.loudountimes.com/news/2009/aug/11/stores-parents-gear-back-school/