Back to School Shopping, University Style!
With my oldest going off to University her back to school needs are a little more diverse than when she was simply returning to middle school or high school. Now she is in need of more things than just the ordinary:
- Pens
- Papers
- Binders
- Clothing
Now her back to school purchases have more diverse things added like:
- Her own computer
- A copy of Microsoft Office
- A printer
- Anti-Virus software
- A power bar
- Bed linens and towels
- A return ticket for Thanksgiving
- Living Expenses
- A desk lamp
- A stapler
- A 3 hole punch
- A year’s supply of the necessities of life
- Shampoo
- Deoderant
- Laundry Detergent
- Toothpaste
- Soap
The life’s necessities is an interesting one, it’s not like Waterloo is like Baffin Island, where they only get supplies once a year, so I am not sure why we are buying so much of this stuff, but we are (and transporting it there too).
More School Spending
Of course we have regular back to school shopping for my other two daughters, and luckily my son has not reached the magic school age, but as I have said before September is a month with many very LARGE outputs of money, in many hidden places:
- Fees for courses and such, at a public school?
- Fees for sports
- Bus passes (this year only two, so I am saving there?!?!?)
- Clothing for back to school
- Basketball shoes and sports paraphenalia
- Field trip fees
- Registration for club sports
How much could all of this cost? Try well over $1000 with the sports fees and such added in!
All of this, as my last pay cheque will arrive on September 30th? Sounds like we are going to need a budget, oh Gail Vaz-Oxlade, where are your mason jars?!!!!!
Have a good weekend all, think I’ll be figuring out how many kidneys I can sell on E-bay…
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August 15th, 2008 at 5:56 AM
Why not use Ubuntu and OpenOffice rather than spend 500 bucks on Windows Vista and Office?
August 15th, 2008 at 6:10 AM
This is for my daughter, who has used Windows and Office and I frankly don’t want to teach her Linux and Open Office in the next two weeks.
I am thinking I may well get back to my UNIX roots very soon and take this project on myself at home, though, so I agree that is a good choice, however, Office now costs less than $100 in Canada and Vista can’t cost that much, because PC’s now cost $500 in itself!
August 15th, 2008 at 12:40 PM
If your daughter lives in dorm, you’ll have to set aside dorm fee as well, usually payable in the first week or two.
Then there’s the evil called “textbooks”. Try to buy all the books online before hitting the school’s bookstore would probably save you a bundle. As far as I can remember, Amazon and Indigo now both sells used books as well. If you’re willing to go one step (or many steps, depending on your circumstances) further, see if you can buy the books from a developing country — because of arcane trade agreements, the same book usually cost a lot less in developing countries than Canada.
One way to enforce frugalness on her is to give her a lump sum of money and let her allocate how much she’s willing to spend on books, food, phone (long distance charges are a beast), entertainment, etc. Limited resource inspires creativity — she’ll soon figure out how to score free food, which textbooks are worth the money, the cheapest way to connect with her high school friends, etc. Of course, for this strategy to work, you have to make her realize you’re not going to send her money when she comes home begging for more in Thanksgiving.
August 15th, 2008 at 1:01 PM
Excellent points! Well put, and thanks