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It’s the end of summer, which means it’s also time for those most prized possessions of all — school supplies.
Every year, my mother would take us school supply shopping first at our local Dollar Store, and then to the nearby drugstore. Between those two stores, we’d buy all of our supplies. But one year, my mom caught the flu on SSSD (School Supply Shopping Day), and so my dad was selected to do the honors.
Now my dad – aka Captain Dad – is a man who’d walk a mile to save an inch. And he was certain that he could not only do the school shopping faster, but also cheaper than my mother ever thought to do it. Too ill to argue, my mother handed over the list and watched with a worried air as Captain Dad enthusiastically loaded all eight of us kids into the family van, hopped into the driver’s seat, and headed out for SSSD.
To our collective shock, he didn’t stop at the familiar Dollar Store, but drove straight on to the then-version of Costco. Ignoring our protests, he parked the van, lined us all up, marched us into the store, and proceeded to order us up and down the aisles, the list at hand.
Sounds good so far, hm? There’s Captain Dad, in the bargain center of our small town, kids organized into two troops (each with their own buggy), ready to conquer the annual SSSD . . . but it was here that the proverbial wheels fell off the cart.
Why? Because of this:
1. Captain Dad cannot say no to a bargain.
2. We were SURROUNDED by bargains.
Oh, he tried to stay focused on notebook paper and ink pens, but then he remembered that we needed trash bags, so off to the trash bag aisle he went. Of course, this being the then-version of Costco, he bought the coffee table sized box of 1,000 trash bags (“Saved a whole .2 each!”), and stacked it on our notebooks, paper, and pens.
Of course, in going to the garbage bag aisle, Captain Dad realized that my mother was probably using all of the cold medicine in the house and so, while we were there, we might as well restock, so off we went to the cold medicine aisle. We bought cold formula in a huge four pack of 32 oz bottles (“It’ll be extra cold this year, so we’ll use it up by Christmas. AND I saved .41 EACH!”)
People, that’s almost four LITERS of cold medicine. Wow.
And then Captain Dad decided we needed more tissues (“Look at that! Only $1.99 each for 30 boxes!”), and somehow that made him think of chicken drumsticks (“Good lord, those are only $2.99 a pound and they come in bags of 120. Your mother will like that! Get fourteen of those!”) — on and on it went for the next 45 minutes. By the time we went to check out, both buggies were overflowing, we were exhausted trying to maneuver them through aisle after aisle, and my dad was rubbing his hands in glee at all of the money he’d saved.
And then they checked us out . . . I can still remember his face when he saw the final ticket for our SSSD: $519.34. In today’s dollars, that would be . . . heck, I don’t know, but a LOT. What I DO know is that while Captain Dad may not have saved us as much money as he’d hoped, we ended up with a LOT of chicken drumsticks. Mom swears there are still some in our freezer.
When you were growing up, was School Supply Shopping Day a big day at your house? Do you always go to the same places or do you follow the sales? And have you ever bought cold medicine by the liter? Chicken drumsticks by the flock? Do you buy anything in bulk?
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133 Comments on “Captain Dad, Costco and the Really, Really, REALLY Big Bag of Chicken Drumsticks.”
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Ms. Hawkins, this tidbit is SO funny!!!!!!! Poor Captain Dad…
Anyway, SSSD wasn’t so bad. I was frugal in my school supplies. The only things being bought were things that were in need of restocking and/or something that is required for class that hadn’t been bought before. Then again, SSSD may end up being in stores that are not only selling school supplies, but it could be food, clothes, hygiene stuff, etc. School supplies wouldn’t be the only things being bought that day…
Recently, I had bought this huge bottle of ibuprofen, but that was returned because we really didn’t need that much.
As for bulky items, yes we buy them. Some bulky item are: napkins, tissues, fabric softener, liquid detergent, single-slice cheese, instant coffee, coffee creamer, Gatorade, OJ, and more.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 5:01 am.
E.R., I think I could use that huge bottle of ibuprofen. We’ve had so many storms roll through here this month that my sinuses are in revolt. I’ve also heard it said that buying coffee in bulk saves a lot of money. I need to look into that!
It sounds like you guys had an overall stock up day and just added school supplies into the mix. That’s how I did it with my kids, too. But then there weren’t eight of them, which might have changed things.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 9:47 am.
Ah Karen your dad reminds me a lot of my dad. He could never pass up a bargain.
I really don’t have any memories of sssd. Just know that we dreaded it.
Dad used to go to Costco all the time. I remember being down their house once saying I was running low on toilet paper but had to wait till payday. Off dad goes and brings me out a 24 pack. Says take it we have plenty. LOL
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 5:06 am.
Judy, lol! My dad is the same way. He still buys EVERYTHING in bulk – and there are only three people living in his house. I suspect my mom has to dust his collected supplies every so often as it takes months to get through them.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 9:50 am.
Here in Toowoomba we don’t have a Costco which is sad and makes it hard to buy in bulk which I would love to do. I bulk buy on loo paper and meat which is good. Last year I purchased a 24 pack of loo paper for a good 3 paydays. Needless to say that I was right for toilet paper for a couple of months. My parents knew where to shop for my sister’s and my school books. There was none of this buying a ream of photocopy paper and tissues for the class as the school took care of it.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 6:16 am.
Kelly, it’s amazing how many non- school items were on my kids’ school supply list. But with budget cuts, I figure it’s my classroom donation, which is fine.
There’s both a Costco and a Sam’s Club near my house but I rarely shop there. For one, I don’t have the storage for it, and for another, I just know I’ll end up with 1200 chicken drumsticks, too. When it comes to sales, I have NO self control.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 9:54 am.
Karen, my dad was not like yours. He never went shopping with us – that was women’s business, he thought. And SSSD was never a big thing – my mum bought our stuff well beforehand. We had everything ready the day school started!
This comes when you are raised by a grandfather who was used to ordering folk around (he was an officer in both WWI and WWII). No disorder tolerated!!!
I’m afraid I’ve inherited a lot from them. I still prepared meticously for a big event and have everything lined out. And I mostly do my shopping in only two supermarkets.
There is never too much lying around in the freezer, and I suppose when our house was burglared, they would not find much to eat… But then we save BIG time on our household budget. For months now, I have 100 or 150 euro’s left at the end of the month, just by buying only fresh food and always exactly what we need. The money I save can be used when our TV breaks down, or the washing machine, etc.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 6:22 am.
Nicke, you must be a great planner! I’m the opposite. Around three in the afternoon, I start rummaging around the kitchen wondering what I’m going to fix for dinner. I really need to adopt your method. It sounds like you save money AND eat fresh foods. Win-win!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 9:58 am.
Very funny! My father-in-law was just like that and it gives you some great stories to tell and laugh about! I love doing my supply shopping at Target because they always have everything I need. I also love shopping in bulk at Costco, but like your Dad I hate checking out and getting the total bill!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 6:33 am.
Renee, it can really sneak up on you, can’t it? You think “I’m saving money!” every time you put something in your cart and not, “I’m going to have to pay for that today’” You can get severe sticker shock if you’re not careful.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 10:00 am.
oh my.. i can imagine that day. thank goodness SSSD is not a big deal when i still at school. the books are bought through school, and that save us the hassle.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 6:59 am.
Sienny, I noticed that a lot of high schools and even some middle schools are using ipads and such, so maybe there’s not as much need for a SSSD as there used to be. Which is sort of sad, because I loooove the smell of a new notebook when you open it. Ahhhh!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:08 pm.
i also love the smell of new notebooks karen! and new pencils too LOL i always got excited when it was sssd and my mom brought us kids…we shopped in a popular bookstore here and aside from the school supplies i also got my year’s “bonus” from my mom in terms of pocketbooks so it’s really a happy day for me…i wasn’t into clothes, i thought pocketbooks were more important LOL
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 11:24 pm.
My hat is off to Captain Dad, not too many dads will willingly take their kids off to shop for school supplies. Back when I was a kid, pre-large discount chain stores that had everything, we went to the shoe store where they measured your feet, put your shoes on for you, the whole nine yards, then off to Sears for three-five new outfits scoured off the sale racks, then off to Woolworths for socks and underwear and school supplies (which back then didn’t amount to a whole lot since the school provided paper, crayons, glue – I think all we needed was a lunch box and pencils). To this day, I cannot pass up a back to school sale to buy new pens and pencils! I do love to shop at the wholesale clubs except like your dad, the bill is a shock but yes, I need the case of mac and cheese, the 100 rolls of TP – with two grown sons trying to pay off their student loans and make ends meet, I always send them home with ‘care packages’ telling them I bought them on sale!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 7:42 am.
My Dad’s awesome, even though he’s a home-trained efficiency expert and always knows a better way to do everything. As a teen, that drove me crazy.
Your description of your Back to School shopping day sounds awesome! There used to be a Woolworths in my hometown, but it was closed by the time we were school shopping.
That’s so sweet of you to send your kids home with care packages, too, and it gives Costco a whole new level of value. What a great mom!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:11 pm.
Ha! This reminds me of something my husband would do.
We never had a set day for picking up school supplies, we just got them here and there while we were out. It was always mom that took us. I don’t remember my dad shopping, not even for Christmas gifts.
I don’t usually buy in bulk, and if I do, it’s for toilet paper or paper towels. I like to get my meat fresh, so I go to the store 2 or 3 times a week for fresh meat and veggies. If my hubby had his way, we would have 2 large chest freezers(because that’s what his parents have) brimming with things we got on sale. It’s in his blood.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 7:46 am.
Big freezers stocked with meats bought on sale is in my blood too.I am beginning to question it, though. One power outage (never seemed to have them when I was young, but they are happening too often now) and the “savings” are more than offset by the spoilage.
Still, I am not sure I would know how to do it without a big freezer.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 10:48 am.
The electricity goes off fairly often here, too, Madeline. One of the down sides of living in a storm-plagued state. One of the first things that happens after a hurricane is the smell of grilling as people have big cookouts to polish off their unthawed steaks and such.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:14 pm.
That happened to my MIL during the big ice storm they had in the Ottawa Valley in 1999. They were without power for 9 days, and she lost 2 big freezers full of stuff. Although, she was very upset to lose all that food, she still has those big freezers filled to the brim. My husband would have a big freezer if he could, but I put my foot down on that when we moved in together.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 2:27 pm.
Amy, my parents had/still have ‘the freezer in the basement.’ I think there are some items in there from the 70s. It wouldn’t surprise me if there were!
I do love all of the Farmer’s Markets that have sprung up around town. Fresh veggies are awesome!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:12 pm.
Since I was an only child we did not have a big School Supply day. When my boys were little I always made it a big deal, lunch out etc. We always went to Target, where they had a huge “Back to School” area. They often had the local school lists right there in case we forgot ours.
My FIL likes to buy in bulk. He once bought 20 fresh chickens from a local farmer. But they were so cheap!! It took forever to get them all eaten. I still remember the look on my MIL’s face when we ate the last one at Thanksgiving and not an hour later the same farmer knocked on the door and delivered a truckload more because my FIL had stopped on his way out hunting to tell him they were out.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 7:47 am.
Lori, oh, I do love my local Target.
Lol about your FIL. I think he and my dad would have gotten along soooo well. Did I mention the time he bought a SEMI TRUCK of firewood? Seriously, a semi pulled into our drive and dumped off an entire load of tree trunks. Took my dad a month to cut and split it into stacks in our back yard and it left a thick coating of bark that killed all of the grass on that side of the house. My mother was not amused.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:16 pm.
my dad would rarely take us shopping. unless it was to drag us to a hardware store. The man owned a construction company! why he felt the need for hardware store shopping, I have no idea.
We always back to school shopped at Fisher’s Stationary downtown. I STILL go there for the occasional pad of paper. and Mrs Fisher is STILL working the counter at 93! She sits now, but still works 6 days a week, bless her wizened sweet face.
The first time I shopped at Costco when it came here in 1997, I went nuts at the low prices. spent well over 200 bucks when i would have normally spent 50, saying all the while, look at the cheap prices! hahaha! yeah. right.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 8:19 am.
He probably went to hardware stores just because they are cool.
I love them. The old-fashioned kind with nails loose in buckets, not pre packaged in blister wrap. I marvel at all this hardware that one can buy for almost nothing. Wow, look at this big screw, it is so heavy, there is a lot of metal there and it is only 20 cents! Of course, I have no idea of what to do with any of that stuff.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 10:50 am.
If my dad isn’t easy to get in touch with, it’s because he’s wandering the aisles at Lowe’s. he loves that store. There’s just something about men and hardware, isn’t there?
Costco does that to me, too. I have to avoid it or I’d be forced to build an addition onto my house.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:17 pm.
Karen, you and your dad could team up. Drop him off at Lowe’s to shop for the addition while you go to Costco.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 3:14 pm.
Now that’s an idea!!!
Posted on August 31, 2012 at 7:41 am.
Dad never went school shopping. Dad only shopped when there was a crisis, and then, we had to be desperate for an item. But, DH is like that. We were walking through Sam’s Club in July, and came across glue sticks. Knowing that the kids would need glue sticks, we bought 24 of them. Plenty of glue for the year. Several years ago, we were in Target together after school started. They had the cases of pencils on sale–left overs from the back-to-school sale. So we bought them. We haven’t had to buy our kids pencils in a long time, and will probably not have to buy any pencils until they go to high school.
We’re excited in our area. Our Sam’s is opening October 18. That means that I won’t have to drive 45 minutes to do the bulk shopping. I’m making the Sam’s run today, as they have toilet paper and paper towels on sale in our area right now. Oh, and I’m buying chicken legs for our camping trip this weekend.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 8:29 am.
Amanda, I have to admit that it’s fun to shop in those stores. It’s just amazing to see all of that merchandise in one place.
Enjoy your Sam’s! They’re awesome.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:18 pm.
When I was young my folks must not have made a big deal about school shopping. I don’t remember ever shopping for desk supplies – I just remember having “stuff”. Oh to be young and just have things show up! I did make a big deal of it with my daughters. We made a day of picking out just the right spiral binders, colored pens, pocket folders and mechanical pencils.
We do shop in bulk for the typical things: laundry soap, cling wrap, rice, sugar and flour. A flock of chicken has come home to my freezer but usually just the white meat. We have also purchased 1/2 a cow and hope to again before the snow flies.
Sounds like your Captain Dad was a lot of fun to shop with!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 8:33 am.
Kez, don’t you love helping the kids pick out their school supplies? It’s one of my favorite shopping trips of the year. Plus, I always throw some Post-Its into the cart for me. I’m addicted to those.
You bought a half of a cow before? Was it all cut up when you got it or just … half of a cow. You must have some freezer!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:19 pm.
It’s just me and hubby so we really can’t buy many things in bulk. We go to the Costco mainly because its the only place that has American style hot dogs lol.
I don’t remember needing a lot of school supplies until I had to purchase my own books in college.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 8:46 am.
Archer, yup, it’s just Hot Cop and me except for the holidays and such, so some of that bulk buying is a waste, although Captain Dad hasn’t let that stop him. You should see his closets. Oy!
When I was little, we even had to purchase our art supplies. Those were the most fun and I always insisted I get a bottle of glitter, even if it wasn’t on the list. I still love to look at those bottles, but now I never buy them because if they spill — BAD!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:21 pm.
I have a blue bottle of glitter that for some reason I don’t throw out, but don’t use either
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 6:58 pm.
I don’t buy in bulk – but my sister in FL does.. at one point, they had stuff in a paid storage unit.. I found that rather strange, however, they were in the middle of moving and had 2 children…so I guess that was part of the reason for the storage unit…
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 8:51 am.
Cate, a storage unit is probably a great idea while moving. Sometimes you have those ‘we need to store this until we get things set up’ moments, especially with kids around.
The truth about the storage unit will show through this — do they still have it now that they’ve moved? If no, awesome. If yes, an intervention might be needed. Heh!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:23 pm.
I don’t remember being part of the decision-making in picking out school supplies. I never went along on the shopping trip. Mom just brought my supplies home and surprised me with them. But she always did a good job. There is something so exciting about opening a brand new notebook, even today!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 8:52 am.
Susan, it would be fun to be surprised with school supplies. I think my mom was just looking for an excuse to get out of the house.
And yes, a brand new notebook — ahhhh! That and a package of Post-Its and I’m a happy camper.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:24 pm.
I don’t ever remember SSSD being a big deal in my family. I remember going to the local drug store for the supplies, but that’s about it. Of course, there were only four siblings, not eight. Yikes, Karen! I don’t really buy anything in bulk, but if there were that many of us I can’t imagine doing it any other way!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 8:59 am.
Kelly, my parents took foster kids and had exchange students, so sometimes there were up to fifteen of us. Normally, though, there were about eight. It was NOISY and don’t even get me started talking about the Bathroom Line.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:26 pm.
That was great of your family, Karen! My parents tried a foster child once. I think they thought having another girl around would be good for me. It was hilarious for me to watch her chase my brother around the house because she was infatuated with him. Sadly it came to an end when he started to lock himself in the bedroom to keep her away. I didn’t like the bathroom situation at all and it was still only 5 of us!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 5:55 pm.
Captain Dad–I love it! I am a bargain hunter, too, but I think you Dad outshines me there. Shopping for school supplies when I was a kid was no big deal. As a Mom, it was an ordeal of crowds and not being able to get the exact supplies all at one place. Not a fun time.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 9:03 am.
LSUReader, I was like you — I wanted ease and quickness and I’d save money on other things just to avoid the crowds. But I still love office/school supplies. My office closet is packed with them even now, although since I run my business out of my house, that makes sense. Or so I tell Hot Cop!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:27 pm.
We only shopped at the grocery store and K-Mart for school supplies, and then only got the bare minimum. (“No, you can’t have the box of 64 crayons. 16 is plenty for pretty much anything.) I used to think I had the meanest mom ever, but she was shopping for 4 of us and later, when I had to supply just two, I was always staggered by the cost of back to school. Oy!
Now, I’d go Costco all the way. Love. It.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 9:23 am.
Oh, I forgot about K-Mart! We did our Christmas Lay Away there every year. I just had two kids and it WAS expensive! Surprisingly so. It’s interesting to see my daughter with her rented iPad, and one small essay book and a set of pens and nothing else as a school supply. Makes me wonder if the pencil companies will all go under because of technology. I hope not — Ticonderoga pencils are amazing.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:29 pm.
Captain Dad, what a hoot! SSSD was not a big deal around our house. We would get the list and go to Danners where the supplies were already bagged and marked for each grade. Easy on Dad as far as shopping goes.
Never bought anything in bulk, never will. Hey I’m single, don’t need to buy in bulk.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 9:24 am.
Angela, what a neat service!
And buying in bulk isn’t always a great deal. I’ve found some items at Sam’s Clubs that were cheaper at WalMart and in smaller packages, so it’s a mixed bag of ‘deals.’
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:30 pm.
I don’t remember any certain stores, but I do remember the excitement. I am school supply addict. I LOVED them,still do. I am 36 years old and can’t help myself. When we are buying for my daughters (we usually go to Wal-Mart) I always sneak a pack of colored pens or a fresh never used pad of paper for me. I also have a stock up quirk, One year I bought like 40 spiral notebooks because they were only 17 cents. And glue sticks, paid full price once, and only once, and was shocked.
As for buying in bulk, we did that when the girls were babies. It was just cheaper to get diapers, wipes, and formula at Sam’s then anywhere else.
In case I haven’t said it before, I love this blog. I have found my people. We seem to have the same sense of humor and language. We will ignore the fact that my husband is scared that there are more of me. He honestly thought he was the only one. The only who gets ignored when new books come out. The only one dealing with stacks of books everywhere. He once asked just how much my book habit was costing us. I changed that subject really fast. He just doesn’t get it. Ahhh,… but you guys do.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 9:33 am.
Becky, you sound like a younger version of me. We won’t talk about how many real books I have store nor how many are on my Kindle. Our husbands would get along well.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:26 pm.
Sisters in book reading… My hubby bought me a Kindle Fire because he got sick of see the books i was buying and running out of bookshelf space… Now he doesn’t ask and I don’t tell… sorta like my shoes… I just sneek them in the closet and tell him they were there forever lol.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:35 pm.
Becky, I love school supplies, too. And yes, when my kids were little, I bought as much of their baby supplies in bulk as I could simply because the thought of running out in the middle of the night was unthinkable.
And thank you for sharing your kudos for Mt. Oly! We’re glad you’re here with us, too. Every person who posts adds to the friendship and lets us know that no, we’re not alone. We’re just women who love books and have families and jobs and oh, did I mention that we love books (and office supplies)?
Welcome and please visit often, and tell your DH that it’s healthy to read — it chases off depression and keeps the mind active even into old age, so reading is a matter of HEALTH. He’s just lucky you’re being HEALTHY.
That’s what I tell Hot Cop when he points out that I have four bookshelves and he only has two. I’m being HEALTHY. Surely he wouldn’t want me to quit!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:36 pm.
Perhaps our fathers were related? We went to “town” twice a year for major shopping–and it was done in a marathon (which is par for the course for her). She loaded up 5 kids (usually more–there were always a couple of cousins along for the ride too) and we did clothes shopping, school supplies and Sam’s Club in August and Easter clothes and Sam’s Club again in March.
It was not pleasant….but lookng back now, I think my mom was a saint for doing it–I asked her about it the other day. She said if she had to do the same in today’s world, she’d get the clothes online and drop us off at grandmas so she could have a mental health day to do the Sam’s run.
I do buy a few things in bulk: cough drops, coffee, disposable plates, napkins, etc….and if I go to Sam’s I usually find some deal or another that I cannot pass up.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 9:37 am.
I should proof read before I post! My mama took us shopping twice a year….she barely trusted Dad to run to the grocery store–no way she would have sent him to town (he’d probably come back with less children than he started with!).
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 9:39 am.
Haley, ah, the halcyon days of marathon school shopping! Where HAVE they gone?
Your mom sounds like a saint indeed. And of course she would do things differently now — there are so many more options! But at the time, she sounds like the epitome of efficiency.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:58 pm.
Cute story! I don’t remember needing all the stuff that kids today need. I think I bought 3 or 4 spiral notebooks and folders, a package of pens and pencils, and eraser (that was of utmost importance) and a pack of loose leaf paper. We just went to the grocery store so it wasn’t a big deal. My little second grader needs considerably more than that. I have spent close to $30.00 and I still have to get tissues, hand sanitizer and more pencils.
My parents are the same when they go to Sam’s Club. They buy everything in bulk claiming to save so much, but then they have to store it. I only shop in bulk periodically. I tend to forget what I have stored.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 9:40 am.
Lisa, the list have grown longer for elementary school kids, haven’t they? But shorter for the older ones now that they do more stuff online. It’s a weird juxtaposition.
I’m just like you about the bulk items, btw. Just realized yesterday that I have two packs of papertowels — six in each — in the back closet from heaven knows when. I was glad to find them but now I’m not sure where to store them that I’ll actually remember them … and so the madness begins!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 1:00 pm.
My mom usually did all of that shopping, but I really don’t remember needing everything that is on the lists nowadays. I remember getting pens, pencils, paper, sprials or folders, crayons and map pencils. And they were all MINE, not to be combined in a classroom ‘set’ of supplies. I don’t like that idea personally…too many germs get spread everywhere anyway, and now the kids are having to get cooties by touching other pens, pencils, crayons, etc. EWWW!!
I was always more excited about getting new school clothes than the supplies because I always just got exactly what was on the list…box of 12 generic crayons (not the cool box of 64 Crayolas with the sharpener in back), blue or black Bic pens with the clear barrel, plain yellow pencils with red erasers, etc. I loved getting new clothes! We usually went to Montgomery Wards because my folks had a charge account there. Now, while I loved the shopping, I was ridiculously hard to fit. When I was growing up, I had endlessly long legs and was REALLY skinny. I either had to wear a belt that made the waist band bunch up funny or I looked like I was waiting for a flood. LOL
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 10:10 am.
Julie, lol! Oh yes, the Necessary Belt. My niece is there right now — super thin and everything is either too big around the waist or too short.
School clothes should be another blog, as that’s an entirely different topic. But I, too, was a Monty Wards dressed kid. I think it was the only place to shop in our town for years and years, until KMart arrived.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 1:07 pm.
LOL, we called in Monkey Wards….
Posted on August 31, 2012 at 10:12 am.
I can’t remember how we got school supplies. I suspect my mom just did it herself, without us, in order to control costs. But I have always been in love with school supplies, especially on sale. Even now I go out at this time of year and stock up on 10 cent spiral notebooks and $1 loose leaf paper. And pens! Oh, lots of those. Pencils too, because there is nothing like a really sharp pencil.
As for bulk, I have learned my lesson on some things.I do buy the bulk garbag bags, though. Some of that bulk buying really is cheaper if there is no expiration date. I love Costco, but have to restrain myself.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 10:43 am.
Oh, and there was no back to school clothes buying because I went to a Catholic school and we wore uniforms. We hated them. My mother LOVED them.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 10:45 am.
My step daughter and her friends actually picketed the local school board meeting when they decided to go with uniforms. It’s the only time I ever saw her interested in political things.
I do love office/school supplies. Always have, always will. I have a closet that has them packed in there and I try to never run out of anything. I don’t know why but that seems wrong somehow. When you need a pen, you NEED a pen!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 1:09 pm.
I do remember the days of school supply shopping. I usually still go with my daughter when she gets supplies for my grandkids. We don’t have a Costco here, we have Sam’s Club so I can’t compare shopping experiences on that but I have bought in bulk before at Sam’s. You really have to watch it though, sometimes it’s not cheaper to buy that way.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 11:16 am.
Linda, I think Costco and Sam’s are about the same. I can’t really tell any difference. They are sort of tricky about the costs, aren’t they? And I’m not a math maven by any means, so I have to walk around with a calculator, which is never pleasant!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 1:10 pm.
Great story! I remember thinking how fun it was to shop for school supplies and we would just go wherever Mom took us that she thought was the cheapest. I remember getting to pick out a notebook with kittens on it and my brother would get star wars stuff, so she let us have our own creative moments!
I don’t stock up at big bulk stores usually but when something is on sale (the shampoo I like) I’ll buy 5 bottles of it. Same with toilet paper, deodorant, etc.
Sounds like you had a great family.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 11:30 am.
forgot to say, please don’t put me in for the contest cuz I won last month and I don’t want to be a prize hog!
Unless you are giving away Hugh Jackman dates, then you can sign me up.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 11:31 am.
If we ever have Hugh Jackman to give away, it won’t be a drawing, but a wrestling contest.
You’ve been warned! Heh!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 1:13 pm.
Robin, I had a notebook with kittens on it, too! We did a lot of bargain shopping, as well. It’s just part of the process.
And yes, I had/have a terrific family. They always make me grin. Well, most of the time, anyway. :-/
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 1:12 pm.
I love Costco. Love the samples and I love buying pretty pens especially!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:10 pm.
May, I forgot to mention the samples! How could I?!?! You can’t beat sample day at Costco and Sam’s Club. You could eat a meal and never pay a dime.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 1:13 pm.
It might be said that I buy wine in bulk. . .
I loved shopping for school supplies. Fresh pens and pencils, new folders, paper (wide ruled, not narrow or college) spiral notebooks, pencil bags or boxes.. then I would try to figure out why we might need some of the items on the list.. what were we going to color with the colored pencils? Was the protractor for math or something else? I loved it! I still do.
I still head into an office supply and get giddy about all the stuff. When back to school time hits, I admit I browse the aisles looking for fun folders or spiral notebooks. I liked school – more for the social aspect than classes, mind you – but it was always nice to head back to the new year, especially with all the new goodies!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:23 pm.
Wine stores well, though. Or it does if you have a garage.
I still get giddy in office supply stores, too. There’s just something about them … sooooo nice. The first week of school was fun, too, wasn’t it? I hadn’t thought about it, but I always loved seeing who was in what classes and such. It was like a little mini-reunion every year.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 1:16 pm.
I don’t remember shopping for school supplies I just remember that on the first day of school they appeared on the dining room table (one stack at each of our places). When I got in high school I remember getting some stuff – like trapper keepers and other things I didn’t really need.
In bulk – usually just paper products unless we are doing family vacation they all the fun stuff – huge bottles of suntan lotion, asprin, etc..
http://youtu.be/fwcYbo7pjto this Staples is my favorite commercial at the beginning of the school year. (hopefully it works)
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:23 pm.
Jeanne, lol! That’s priceless!!! Thank you so much for sharing!
I remember trapper keepers. SUCH huge and bulky things. They were very ‘in,’ but I usually ended up tossing mine by the second month.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 1:18 pm.
In grade school, we didn’t need supplies. My grandparents owned a furniture store and grandpa ordered advertising pencils so he would give me pencils. He gave me enough for my entire class. In junior high and high school we had to wait for school to start. Each teacher requested different things. My grandfather would take me shopping for clothes just before school started and before Easter. He had excellent taste and I was always in style. I miss my grandfather even after all these years. My husband and I shop at Sam’s Club every few months. Our cats’ litter is cheaper. The one cat’s insulin and needles are much cheaper. We buy things in bulk and it all gets used.. even just for two of us. Karen, your father sounds like the Von Trapp father in the Sound of Music.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:25 pm.
Sandi, I bet your grandpa was the hero of your class for that, too. It sounds like you had a terrific and amazing grandfather. Hugs on missing him. I know how tough that can be.
And yes, Captain Dad is VERY Von Trappish, though I doubt he’s seen the movie. If it’s not a western, the news, or the History Channel, he falls asleep.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 1:28 pm.
Karen.
That is funny.There were 5 of us kids and my dad was in the army. Sooo My mom did all the shopping and she always bought what was on the list plus extras for the house.I remember never being without a pencil or paper.So yes she bought in bulk and still does she can’t pass up a deal. Plus having 11 grandkids she kinda goes overboard. I was home this summer no lie she had at least 50 boxes of Mac and Cheese for when me and the boys were visting for 2 months.who eats that much mac and cheese?
As for Dad well he didn’t go school shopping as he wasn’t home very often but when he was there was two things we kids hated him doing Making Lunch(Mayo and Peanutbutter sandwiches) Yes I said Mayo and Peanutbutter. And Making dinner instead of chicken and rice with cream of mushroom I have had Squirel and rice with cream of mushroom cause mom was working and it was hunting season on base.
My mom dreads giving him checkbook to go shopping because he buys like your dad lol.
I have two boys one is in 4th grade the other is 2 years old.I can say the list is getting bigger every year for school supplies and sometimes i go really you need this ok I will get it. Luckly I only have one in school right now. But his supplies actually are his this year except for handsanitizer and tissues.
Needless to say I do have a Sam’s club membership and I buy certain things in bulk for School and home… Pens,Clorox wipes, Hand Sanitizer (school and home),Paper(computer and lined), Notebooks, Crayons,Apple Sauce, Snacks, Cereal, Toilet Paper,K Dog Food(2 huge dogs), Lunchables(kids and hubby),Bread,and Trashbags. My husband tends to go and buy “Guy” stuff and forget the stuff we need even if I send him with list and comes home spending more money then I would so his shopping privilages have been taken away. Jeannie
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:26 pm.
Oh and I do buy cold meds in bulk especially during allergy season and cold season.. Headcolds are a common in the winter and spring in my house… Stupid Pinetrees lol
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:31 pm.
Jeannie, isn’t it funny how some people ‘save money’ but spending more? It’s just in their blood.
I think the list is getting bigger and bigger for elementary school children. It’s just amazing.
Btw, I had to laugh about you taking away your DH’s shopping pass. But hey, there are RULES. And if you don’t follow the RULES, then out you go.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 1:31 pm.
My mom was a big bargain shopper. I’m pretty sure in elementary school that my school supplies came from Kmart. I do remember liking a blue crayon better in the Kmart box than the Crayola box, and that I was disappointed when my mom switched over to Crayola crayons, lol.
My dd’s elementary school makes it easy. In May they have a school supply fundraiser. I get all the supplies that she needs, pay $42 with shipping, and it gets shipped to her classroom. Needless to say, middle school has been a shock for us when my ds started Tuesday. It seemed fine at first because the school had a video online on how to organize your zip binder. However, since school has started, we quickly realized that the video did not include all of the school supplies. Over the last 2 days we’ve been getting lists from different classes that have 2 supply lists on them – one that has shared school supplies and the other is supplies specific to that class. His zip binder is almost completely full and all of the teachers expect him to keep ALL of his assignments for the semester in his binder. I don’t know where it’s going to go. Add that his ADHD affects his organizational skills. It’s going to be a LONG 3 years.
We buy toliet paper and paper towels in bulk. My mom’s always telling me that we should get washcloths to save on paper towel usage, which is probably true, but with an OCD handwasher, paper towels work better. I, also, but my kids’ shampoo and conditioner in bulk, too, because it’s just easier for everyone because of the pumps. It’s good for your hands, too, to not be squeezing stuff all the time – I learned that from my OT when I hurt my thumb earlier this year.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:37 pm.
Janae, what a terrific thing for the DD’s elementary school to do! As for your DS’s school … oy. How frustrating! My son has ADD (no H, fortunately), and I hear you on the organizing part. It’s a struggle, isn’t it? And now the school is making things harder.
Btw, I’m with you on paper towels. They’re more sanitary, and that’s important. I had no idea about the pumps, but I do know that I’m seeing more and more of those in hotels. They seem to be gaining in popularity.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 1:36 pm.
I think the organizing is always going to be a struggle. We talk about it all.the.time – what he can do, what he thinks works for him, what doesn’t work, why something works, while something else doesn’t, etc. It’s gotten better, and he’s learning to be more responsible for himself. I think he’s more ADD these days than ADHD. He really mellowed out around 9, but for a time I wasn’t sure that he wasn’t going to see 5.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 3:59 pm.
My husband love buying stuff at our Sam’s Club in bulk.I must admit that we get a great deal of school supplies here. I could open a store with the pens, sticky notes, computer paper, batteries etc. that we purchase here. Juice boxes for lunch bags, snacks, etc. and then he heads over to the aisles to buy bags o’rags. I have so many rags it is not funny, maybe it is a little funny. The only thing I have a mania for in bulk for is toilet tissue. The way my family goes through this stuff would amaze you. :O) I just thought, we do have an overabundance of backpacks. Seems you must get a new one every time you go back to school.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 12:58 pm.
Debbie, and it’s just a pain to run out of TP, too, so it does make sense to buy it in bulk. I buy two or three every time I go to the grocery store, so I’d be better off getting it at one of the discount clubs, especially if I went on a sale day.
And what IS it with the backpacks? I ended up with a stack of them, too, and finally sold them for $2 each in a yard sale.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 1:37 pm.
I love school supply shopping and missed most of it this year with my kidlets. Of course, dh did not stick to the list so I was horrified by the cost.
One year growing up I do remember that my mom found paper on sale. You know that wide-rule, 3 hole punch paper that you need every year until high school. The only thing that varies is how much you need to take on the first day. Well, every time we went to the store my mom would buy some. Five packs one week. Ten the next. Oh, we need toilet paper – let’s pick up some wide-ruled paper — just in case. By the time school started we probably had 30 packs of paper. But it was on sale for $25 cents and she wasn’t going to have to spend $2 in December when we needed more. It was stashed in closets everywhere that year and I do think it took us a couple of school years to use all of it. It was a good deal though. Too good to pass up.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 1:40 pm.
Stephanie, what IS it about DHs and lists? It’s almost like a challenge — can they find something that’s not on it that you meant to put on it? I dunno.
I have to laugh at your Mom’s paper habits — and congratulate her on her thriftiness, too. Captain Dad would be so proud!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 6:13 pm.
School supply shopping was awesome! There was nothing like a brand new spiral to get the writing juices flowing. Today, I still enjoy taking my grandchildren to do their supply shopping. Always looking for bargains, I usually get extra (30 spirals when we only need 10) but at 10 cents a piece I just can’t pass it up.
Cold medicine I sometimes wish I could buy in bulk. With 6 people in our home, when 1 gets sick it seems we all get sick, but today the stores put a limit on how much cold medicine you can buy at one time.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 1:54 pm.
Brenda, you’re a budget-minded, smart shopper. And I hear you on the getting sick. When one of my brothers or sister got sick, my mother would start stocking up on tissues and meds because she knew what was coming … a wave of sniffles!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 6:15 pm.
Back in my day you didn’t buy school supplies – at school you got a couple of pencils, (crayons and glue – used), and paper was handed out per assignment lol. I did shop for my kids though and thought it was fun except it kept getting more and more expensive, especially by the time you needed calculators and then computers. My biggest bulk item is kitty litter in large 40 lb. containers lol.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 1:55 pm.
catslady, that would be so much easier! And oh, I remember my sticker shock when I had to buy my daughter one of those graphic calculators. Wow. Those were PRICEY. Of course, now there are computers keyboards that cost that much … things, how they are changing. And getting more expensive!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 6:25 pm.
The only time I go to Costco is if I’m hosting a party and I KNOW I’m going to use all that food.
Your dad sounds a lot like my mom… her house is FULL of food… she’s got 2 fridges, and 2 freezers filled to bursting point. And she bought all that stuff because it was “on sale” at Costco. Surprise, surprise!
When it comes to shopping for school supplies, we didn’t always go to the same place and not all in one day. Sometimes we would go to London Drugs, sometimes Stables, sometimes Walmart, and other times we’d go to the local grocery store (Superstore). I LOVED getting school supplies, and I still do. Oh the fresh smell of a new box of crayons, and a big stack of paper and pens!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 1:58 pm.
Cheri, parties and Costco are a perfect match!
I love school/office supplies, too. They make me feel like a kid. But hey, I NEED that box of crayons!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 6:26 pm.
Costco is the devil. I am still working my way through vats of olive oil and a fresh fruit tray I bought in 2009.
Our school supply list was much smaller then. Some paper, some pencils, some glue and scissors. This week I have been all over Austin looking for manilla paper. BECAUSE NO ONE USES MANILLA PAPER EXCEPT FIRST GRADERS. Argh
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 2:03 pm.
Julia, when I buy things from Costco, I always feel as if I throw more stuff away because of expiration dates than I ever use. That pinches my frugal soul.
Lol about the manilla paper. I had to do the same thing and I think I found it in an art store, but someone told me once that you could buy it at Office Depot. I don’t know about that, but that’s what I’ve been told.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 10:32 pm.
Karen, I just loved your story about Captian Dad.. So brings back many memories of my dad and shopping… My mom would make a list and said to make sure he brought back the brands that were on the list… But dad was part Scottish and he could pinch a penny until it leaked water… So my mom started to send me to the store with him when ever should could not go…which was not too often.
Now as to school.. That was always the week before Labor Day weekend and I loved picking out my new cloths for the first week of school.. There was always a new dress, a skirt, blouses and shoes.. Then there were all those neat school supplies. My pack of Laurentian colour Penils were always the first thing I grabbed…. Now I would not want to shop for school supplies.. Too much choice…
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 2:14 pm.
Kathleen, the more choices, the harder it is! That’s true — every year it gets harder because they have more shades of crayons, more types of paper, more sorts of pens … ack!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 10:33 pm.
Dad was a coupon shopper. He would drive all over town going to supermarkets that had sales on the items he had coupons for. And he would buy in bulk. I buy paper products in bulk, generally from the grocery store when they have them on sale. I usually have a two months supply on hand at all times. Guess I’m prepared for any emergency.
I couldn’t wait for back-to-school and SSSD. School supplies are among my favorite things anyway, even today, although now they’ve graduated to office supplies.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 3:00 pm.
dbrown, oh coupons! I love those, but Captain Dad never got into them. I wonder why, because they’re like free money.
I’m with you on office supplies. They make me very, very happy.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 10:34 pm.
Good afternoon Karen,
You owned me with that story! I’m one of 7 kids, so no thrill when shopping for school suppies back in the day. My mom got the basics and that was pretty much it. And back then, you didn’t have to bring the store with you to school like it is now. Schools give you a list with assorted items on it including air freshener (they’ll be kind & even let you know what scent to buy), lotion, paper towels, kitchen sink – just kidding, uh maybe. Oh and yes, room donation money. Lab fees, locker fees, and fees just because. Seriously, what is done with all the money? I think a lot of administrators and such are making excellent salaries..
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 3:55 pm.
Ginger, oy, room donation funds. I’d forgotten those, but I remember writing a number of tiny checks to cover science and art fees and oh, heaven knows what else. It’s amazing what kids have to bring to school today, isn’t it? Sooooo much stuff!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 10:36 pm.
Oh my…yes we shop at Costco, no we have never bought that many drumsticks or that much cold medicine. When I was young school supplies were supplied by the school. When my children were young there was no Costco here. We went to the local 5 and 10. Dee
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 4:16 pm.
Deanna, I love the local 5 and 10. We had one that went out of business when I was in middle school, but oh how I loved that store.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 10:37 pm.
My Mom would probably (definitely) disagree, but I’m pretty sure I never had any adventures when it was back to school time. Having said that, these back-to-school stories are hilarious!
I just read an equally funny one on Ilona Andrews blog:
http://www.ilona-andrews.com/kids/school-shopping
which then led me to her 2011′s back-to-school truly hilarious adventure:
http://www.ilona-andrews.com/family/shopping-survival-tactics-off
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 5:01 pm.
Now I go school supply shopping with my daughter who is a middle school science teacher! I didn’t realize how much teachers buy for their own classrooms. I do enjoy the “hunt” for the bargains. This year it was 130 composition books for the kids to use as science notebooks.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 5:21 pm.
Cindy, it’s sad how much teachers buy for their own classes. I have a friend who teaches special education and I’ve been shocked by how much of her own money she puts toward her kids . . . and they don’t make as much as people might think. That’s so nice that you help her on her shopping trip!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 10:39 pm.
I love school supply shopping each year, its the only way I have pens in my house for the rest of the year lol I used to love going school clothes shopping. We used to go to every store that was having good deals and i loved it!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 5:28 pm.
Pens … ah, pens! I love blue gel pens. They make my soul sing. But if they don’t work — pop, into the can they go. I hate picking up a pen that doesn’t work. No. Good.
Don’t you love deal shopping? Oh, and in Florida, they have no tax weekend, so you can buy clothing and school supplies and the state doesn’t tax it. Awesome!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 10:42 pm.
LOL, we were raised basically organic, in that we would walk down to our grandparents, who raised two steers we would feed and take care of until we ate em. (Same with chicken.) The garden, we’d weed and pick and can. Not really a buy in bulk situation, just can in bulk.
Now I look at huges bags of stuff and think…that is one honking huge bag of “stuff”
School supplies…oh man, I still get excited about school supplies, and I don’t go to school. Pads Pen and Paper always find their way into my cart, and I don’t need them, I use a computer all day.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 5:39 pm.
Wow. Pesky, ‘organic’ you were! That’s some seriously organic living. We had a garden, and every year my mother would can 365 cans of green beans. And guess what we had for dinner EVERY FRICKIN’ NIGHT?
Sheesh. GBs still make me grimace.
I’m the same way with pens and notepads and post-its. I don’t really need them because of the computer, but oh, how I LOVE them!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 10:45 pm.
We had a local store that was like a small department store. On the first day of school we would get our supply list and i would impatiently wait for my mom to get home from work so we could get the “best” stuff, usually folders with kittens or red notebooks. I was convinced everyone was buying everything up before I got there! Once there we would see every other kid/mom from the neighborhood. I don’t think my dad knew where the store was. I can’t think what it would have taken to get him in there on back to school day. he probably would have had an attack just looking for parking!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 5:44 pm.
Cindy, I’d still call a folder with a kitten on it ‘the best stuff.’
I remember worrying the same thing, though, that someone else would get the good stuff. It made the purchase all the sweeter.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 10:47 pm.
I don’t remember shopping when I was small. I’m pretty sure it was just my brothers, mom and I. I don’t remember my dad ever doing any kind of shopping. I am the one who took my kids. Kmart and Staples were 2 stores we shopped at frequently for supplies. I can’t remember if the Target be me was a Target or was still a Gemco.
I like to shop at Costco but it’s hard to buy food in bulk when there is only two of us at home now. My freezer is only so big so I keep it to a few items that we eat most often.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 5:48 pm.
Pamiam, I’ve never heard of a Gemco. Did Target buy them out?
I love my local Target. They aisles are wide enough to push a cart and it’s easy to find things. Costco is a sensory explosion — on my my sense and my wallet. I want one of everything. Sometimes two. Or nine. Or a dozen!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 11:18 pm.
I don’t recall school supply day being a big deal around my house. We’d always just get a notebook and some paper, a few pens and all it a day.
I used to shop at Costco occasionally but realized that for just one or two people, those huge packages of stuff didn’t really work for me.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 7:19 pm.
Barbara, someone here mentioned it was the perfect place to shop for parties, which makes sense. They have some good deals, but the packaging … oy!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 11:19 pm.
During my school days, we didn’t have to buy school supplies. They were provided – from tax dollars. Also, we just didn’t need that much. The delight about starting school was a couple of new outfits and shoes – and, of course, seeing everyone again.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 7:25 pm.
Seeing everyone was the best. Sonny, you’re absolutely right about that — it was such an exciting few days, wasn’t it?
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 11:19 pm.
I don’t remember school shopping. We buy spices, toilet paper, Paper Towels, and otc meds at SAMs
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 7:32 pm.
Alisha, I never thought of buying spices at Sam’s, but I should. I go through enough cinnamon to use it by the pound.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 11:20 pm.
All we needed to supply were pens/pencils and some notebooks which our mother picked up at the local Woolworth’s.
We do shop at Costco and BJ’s – fortunately, with two siblings living close by, we can split bulk purchases.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 8:09 pm.
What’s BJ’s? Is that like Costco? And Mary, how smart to split big purchases! I wonder if I can do that with some of my friends. Hmmmmmm!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 11:21 pm.
That story is too funny! My mom always took us school supply and clothes shopping. We usually waited until close to the end of the summer but I don’t really remember it being a big event. If my dad had to take us he would be more likely to just find a place to sit down and take a nap and tell us to go find what we needed. With my kids I try to get stuff on sale as much as possible until I just give up and get stuff where ever I can find it. The amount of supplies that they need is absolutely ludicrous! (We have never bought cold medicine by the liter or chicken legs by the flock)
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 8:29 pm.
Love the story! My dad never did the SSSD, but I sure loved it. I even loved it with my kids. Can’t wait until I can go with the grand kids!
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 8:43 pm.
It was always mom taking us (which probably saved lots of money and grumping), and it was a bigger shopping event.
I loved getting the school supplies, there’s just something about fresh pencils, pens, paper and other useful things. Hated the shopping for new outfits that went with it. My sis didn’t like that part either. My mom often wondered out loud how she got such odd girls.
I like bulk tp, paper towels, diapers, and wet wipes. Is nice not to have to get them as often and it does save a decent bit of money too
.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 9:37 pm.
When my kids were school aged I always bought 2 sets of supplies for them for when they ran out. I would scour the ads and buy supplies when they were truly cheap; 5 to cent folders, 10 cent notebooks, glue, pencils, pens, etc at Target or Office Max. Being a teacher I knew what they needed and they got to pick out colors. They still talk about it. I’m too old to remember how I got my school supplies.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 9:56 pm.
It wasn’t a big day. We got supplies whenever we needed them.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 10:32 pm.
Karen, we would find the sales when we did school shopping. When I was growing up all we had to do was by clothes, which was nice. This year I lucked out and I didn’t have to by any school supplies for my child. It was nice.
My parents never bought a flock of chickens, because we would live week by week. Medicine was bought when needed. I guess I still care that with me, because I by when I need meds.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 10:44 pm.
When I was the kid, things I needed just happened to be there when I needed them. We didn’t supply tissues or paper towels. I do remember that big brown roll of paper towels (that perfectly matched the ones from the girls room) sitting on the art table and that really big roll of TP sitting on the corner of my 2nd grade teacher’s desk.
For my kids, we didn’t make a special trip to the store but, I would let them go with me to pick out some specifics-notebooks, folders, etc. I always caught sales on notebook paper, pencils, and a few other staples that changed as they grew.
As for buying in bulk-depends on what it is. I can’t say that we NEVER run out of TP but I can say that it has been a while. Any particular favorites that we’re always running out of I tend to bulk buy-breakfast bars. Also, why not buy that huge box of q-tips? They’re a lot cheaper that way and they don’t take up too much room. My husband says that I must also admit that at any time I can go into the kitchen and make almost any of our regular, favorite or ordinary (to us) dishes. I don’t call that bulk buying; it’s just well stocked.
Posted on August 30, 2012 at 11:52 pm.
I solved the back to school problem this year and with one college student told her I would help and gave her cash and sent her shopping. Win/win for me!
Posted on August 31, 2012 at 12:34 am.
I have a Costco card but only buy certain stuff there (Ibuprofin, printer ink, bread, fruit, some meats, a few other things). Sometimes, it’s just cheaper to buy stuff at Walmart or other stores when it’s on sale. Also, Big Lots can be a wallet saver as well as dollar stores. And when Staples has their back-to-school sales, I used to STOCK UP for the entire school year, not just for the immediate future. I figured that it wasn’t going to spoil and what I didn’t immediately use could be boxed and shoved in a closet or under a bed until it was needed. I was taught by my mother to stock up when something was on sale rather than pay full price – a lesson that has held me in good stead throughout my adult life.
Posted on August 31, 2012 at 2:32 am.
Thank heavens I have never had to shop for school supplies with my dad.
Way back in elementary school, we recycled. My mom was a substitue custodian for the school district in town. If asked to work the last week of school, she would jump on the chance. I remember going with her twice. The one shift was really weird; 7 schools between the hours of 3 pm and midnight. Mostly I remember hauling out trash and sweeping the floors. The town kids rarely kept anything. There would be stacks of binders and notebooks left. Anything that looked clean went home with us.
Back then for stores the choice was White Drug or K-mart. We also rummage saled.
Posted on August 31, 2012 at 3:04 am.
Your Father and mine were obviously separated at birth. I love a good bargain, but my Father was the King of savings.
His worst trait was if something was free. He always said IF IT’S FREE TAKE TWO!!
Posted on August 31, 2012 at 4:26 am.
Back then school day shopping well for the 1st day that is, is a big thing coz we need to be ready and all geared up for school. I used to be ever excited for the 1st day coz I can show them my new shoes, new sets of uniform, new bag and whatever I have new that I can show. We don’t really stock up for meds especially for colds and we just stocked up then for our recess foods then. We used to bring food at school for recess. My mom used to buy for us juices and breads. Hmm lovely thought! I am missing that for sure.
Posted on August 31, 2012 at 6:46 pm.