Back to school shopping!

[Stacey Jewell Stahl]

For both preschool years for Alannah, I had bought tons of used clothing at the seminary thrift store. I had the best dressed kid! I was dreading and looking forward to this year because I had not stocked up like I did before.

But . . . we've enrolled Alannah in a small Christian school and the kids have to wear uniforms! So I just went online and bought two pairs of black pants, 1 pair of black shorts, one black skirt, 4 white blouses (2 ss and 2 ls), a cranberry polo, a cranberry sweater, a black belt, black gym shorts, sweat pants and sweatshirt for . . . . over three hundred dollars! I nearly choked. I'm the queen of bargain hunters and always have been.

Now, I just need to get her black shoes, gym shoes and knee socks and tights. I'll be bargain hunting for them!

[Stephanie]

For both preschool years for Alannah, I had bought tons of used clothing at the seminary thrift store. I had the best dressed kid! I was dreading and looking forward to this year because I had not stocked up like I did before.

But . . . we've enrolled Alannah in a small Christian school and the kids have to wear uniforms! So I just went online and bought two pairs of black pants, 1 pair of black shorts, one black skirt, 4 white blouses (2 ss and 2 ls), a cranberry polo, a cranberry sweater, a black belt, black gym shorts, sweat pants and sweatshirt for . . . . over three hundred dollars! I nearly choked. I'm the queen of bargain hunters and always have been.

Now, I just need to get her black shoes, gym shoes and knee socks and tights. I'll be bargain hunting for them!


Thats a good bargin though! You did well.

[Donna]

EEK!!!

I feel your pain..........

Does your school happen to resale to each other........maybe after this first year , you can find out-- or even suggest something of that nature.

You did do good--but when you are used to getting stuff reallllllllly cheap-it is sticker shock!

Try Lands End On the Counter!

Donna

[Stacey Jewell Stahl]

Does your school happen to resale to each other........maybe after this first year , you can find out-- or even suggest something of that nature.I was thinking about this, but I bet that most people only buy 2-3 things of each item and by the end of the year things are pretty ragged. UNLESS a child outgrows stuff at the end of the year and gets new stuff - now I'd buy those items.

Sticker shock indeed. :)

[Bek, aka opeysmama]

EEEEEK! Well Olivia is also going to private Christian school but hers doesn't require uniforms (yet) so she'll get to wear her street clothes. :) HEHE! The school only goes to 3rd grade, with plans to expand in the coming years.

Seems like you could get some uniforms cheap on line?? Or do they require you buy from a certain place?

[Linda Paulson]

Oh gosh Stacey....check into a used uniform sale at school.
Christopher had to wear uniforms the first 6 years and I always shopped the used sale. Sometimes I would stock up on larger items if they were in super good shape and save them for later years.
His school held a sale twice a year (fall and spring).

The school also had a list of a few other "allowed" mfgs besides the uniform store so I was able to get his polo shirts on sale at JC Penney's a few times.

[Stacey Jewell Stahl]

Or do they require you buy from a certain place?Yes, we are required to buy from a certain place. It's not just black pants, it's black pants from THIS PARTICULAR store. I'll check into the used clothing sale! :)

[Stacey42]

Good grief!! Drake goes to a private school with a uniform policy but they are loose about where to buy it - white, red or dark blue polo style shirts, tan pants and dark blue or bright red sweaters. Between Target, Wal-Mart & JC Penny I was able to buy his stuff for less than $100.

Do they at least make the stuff so you can take it in to allow for longer wear? I remember my mom doing that with my brother & I's uniforms. We'd get 2 years wear out of the pants & jumpers. They'd be a bit loose the first fall and a bit tight the last spring but they fit ok most of the time. :)

[Stacey Jewell Stahl]

Stacey, I did buy 6 Regulars for Alannah and she's in a 5 slim right now. She's been 39 pounds for the last 18 months, but she's getting taller. At her last checkup she was 50th percentile for both height and weight. The first size they offered Slims were size 7. I'll be taking in all of her stuff, yes, just because they don't offer adjustable waists.

[showme]

I personally LOVE the idea of school uniforms! Levels the playing ground in a hurry! No labels to flash around, just concentrate of learning!

[Jen]

Totaly agree the uniforms are nice. But when they make you buy from a certain place that isnt soo cool. I would of had sticker shock too since I'm a bargin hunter myself.

[Amy Eileen]

Wow, thats WAY more then I plan on buying for Connor in the fall. We have no schools around here that have a dress code. Well for the most part, must be appropriate for school of course. I bought a lot of stuff for Connor a few months back. They built a new Walmart so they were trying to get rid of a lot from the old one so they didnt have to transfer much. I bought shirts for 1 and 2 dollars, jeans and sweaters for 5. I was HAPPY! :D Oh and my Mom found new jackets for him there for ONE DOLLAR!!

[nancyr]

Stacey - that is a lot of money up front but for 10 months of school it is only $30/month. That does not seem bad to me. I like the idea of uniforms for all schools.

[Christie Frachioni]

*GULP* That's was a painful thing, for sure. Especially not having to worry about it before now.

Maggie's school requires uniforms. We DO have a uniform exchange program there - which is WAY nice. Maggie, for kindergarten, got (for free) four plaid jumpers, three navy pants, 2 pairs of gym shorts and a gym shirt. At the end of kindergarten we donated back into the exchange those same navy pants (which she'd already outgrown), several shirts, and a skort.

[Stacey Jewell Stahl]

Stacey - that is a lot of money up front but for 10 months of school it is only $30/month. That does not seem bad to me. I like the idea of uniforms for all schools.You know, that's a brilliant way to look at it, Nancy! THANK YOU for showing me how the glass is way more than half full!

[Stacey Jewell Stahl]

*GULP* That's was a painful thing, for sure. Especially not having to worry about it before now.

Maggie's school requires uniforms. We DO have a uniform exchange program there - which is WAY nice. Maggie, for kindergarten, got (for free) four plaid jumpers, three navy pants, 2 pairs of gym shorts and a gym shirt. At the end of kindergarten we donated back into the exchange those same navy pants (which she'd already outgrown), several shirts, and a skort.I sure hope there's something like this next year for us. I think we missed the boat for this year because we just got here and the orders were to have been in on June 15 - - and we didn't even know she was going to go to school there until then. She'd been on a waiting list since the end of April, and we found out mid-June that she could get in.

[vanillalatte]

Yeah, that first month of school always strikes me as so incredibly expensive! And I can imagine having the shell out $300 all ot once for those clothes was a shock!

I went to a private school that made us wear uniforms when I was in elementary and part of Jr High. I can see why they want you to buy all from the same store. In my school, they didn't have a particular brand or store, it was white shirt, black pants, red sweater...BUT, that didn't stop the flashing of the tags or competition over clothes.

You had to have the RIGHT white shirt. Back then cordouroy was the big thing so you had to have black cords. Your red sweater had to be a cardigan, NOT a pullover. Heaven help any girl whose mom (like mine) refused to buy black cords.

At least if they're going to do uniforms, Alannah's school is doing them right.

[ArtcTrish]

I agree with LaDonnna....that was my expreience. AND I was the kid whose mom would not buy the "in" shoe or sweater and I wore ugly navy nurses shoes. Then there were girls who wore jewelry and make up vs. those who did not (ie me). Its just a tough world out there.

Ashleigh started a private Christian school last year, and like Bek's Olivia, she did not have to wear a uniform. After my experiences growing up, I just cringed. But the day I toured the school, there were kids wearing Target and stuff not just Ralph Lauren and Chez Ami. BIG SIGH OF RELIEF. I know this will be an issue when she gets older but for now...I can afford to send her AND dress her! LOL

Sorry if this was a tad of your subject Stacey...:)

[Stacey Jewell Stahl]

Trish, this is not off topic at all. I love the fact that Alannah is wearing uniforms. Quite frankly the arguments before school when she was almost 4 and then five were so aggravating. An outfit that she wore last week now she didn't want to. Jeans with embroidery were fine last week but not today. She wouldn't ever want to wear something NEW because what if someone laughed at her? She wouldn't wear capris for this reason. She doesn't like khaki, and she has some adorable khaki cargo pants that she's worn once. She cried all day because I made her wear them, and then she "told" on me to her dad. She's already told me she doesn't want to wear a uniform. ORNERY and STUBBORN are two great words to describe my daughter. Hmmm . . .I guess she takes after me a little, huh?

I had not thought of the differences that mere black pants could have if they were bought at different stores and had different labels. Thanks for the insight!

[Sandersmr]

Mary - plus when your kid insists on dressing herself, you are never sure what she ends up in. A uniform solves that.

(Audrey was wearing a long sleeved knit top the first day I saw her - even though it was 90 outside)