I have boys and I buy stuff all the time. There's no such thing as fitting in last year's clothing. They're already taller than their dad. I keep buying. Bought tons of stuff: shorts, pants, shoes, backpacks, jackets, t-shirt, hoodies etc. Haven't bought supplies yet. I don't know how much I spent.

We just buy as needed, however, I did take my 14 year old daughter to the thrift store today because she wanted a few new tops.

Anonymous wrote:I gotta ask--people who say they bought pens--don't you have pens in every drawer of the house? I feel like we do and I refuse to buy them. Same with pencils. We have tons. Folders wear out but pens? Why?

No. Our pens get lost. My kids like a particular kind anyway.

I bought each of my daughters a pair of jeans, shorts, and 4-5 tops. They have plenty of shoes. They really don’t need anything, they just like a few new “options.”
No back pack, but yes to school supplies.

Like many previous posters, we buy clothing and supplies as needed. DD, 12, needed mostly tee- shirts and running gear for cross country. We bought 3 running tops and 3 pairs of running shorts, 6 tees, 1 pair of jeans, and 2 sweatshirts for less than $300, mostly from Aerie, American Eagle, and Aeropostale. School supplies were nominal as she could reuse many items from last year and her backpack and lunch gear are still in good condition.

I bought the school supplies from the list provided for my elementary school kid.

Things like clothes, shoes, and lunchboxes get replaced as needed, not necessarily at the start of school. Backpacks last for years… my high schooler is on his third one ever, and his younger sibling is using the one he outgrew.

My teenage kids are huge and still growing. Went to the Nike outlet today and got $350 of just clothes. Went to Target also, $200 of BTS supplies and toiletries and a 3-shelf on wheels cart for DS heading to college Saturday. Next need new underwear and socks, it's been a couple of years so they are desperate. Another $100. Ordered sneakers online and got some great deals, but $300 on 4 pairs of shoes. I have to stop!

Anonymous wrote:I gotta ask--people who say they bought pens--don't you have pens in every drawer of the house? I feel like we do and I refuse to buy them. Same with pencils. We have tons. Folders wear out but pens? Why?

I'm a pen and paper geek and introduce my kids to the nice stuff, just like my father did with me. We need to replace what we have after a few years. So it's not every year that we buy new.

Anonymous wrote:I gotta ask--people who say they bought pens--don't you have pens in every drawer of the house? I feel like we do and I refuse to buy them. Same with pencils. We have tons. Folders wear out but pens? Why?

You probably have black pens around but some schools/ teachers want a red and blue pen as well.

I gotta ask--people who say they bought pens--don't you have pens in every drawer of the house? I feel like we do and I refuse to buy them. Same with pencils. We have tons. Folders wear out but pens? Why?

We still wear mostly summer stuff the first month. I buy 1 new pair of shoes, school supplies and maybe one special expensive thing like $$$ jeans. My girls have tons of clothes and wear the same size and have for years.

Oldest DD: One pair of linen pants, one pair of shoes, one shirt.
Younger DD: Two shirts and two sweaters

We don't buy a ton of clothes at one time. Their clothes from last year fit them fine.

DCPS MS with uniforms and free lunch, and co-parenting 13yo boy. I bought a few pairs of pants and a few polos. I sent the links to his dad who might order more. Also got new shinguards and socks for soccer.

Bought new sneakers and a hoodie last month before a trip, and new cleats when the last pair died.

Pencils, pens, highlighters. His dad said he'd get a new backpack but we haven't seen evidence o that yet.

Anonymous wrote:Did you buy 1-2 pair of shoes? Did you buy enough outfits for a week? Two weeks?
Do you just buy throughout the year when they need an item? How many items did you buy for the beginning of the school year?

$1

Zero for clothing/shoes as we just buy through the year as needed.
About $150 for "supplies" but we overbought and it should have been closer to $120. Folders, notebooks, desk calendar, graph paper, lined paper, highlighters, pens, pencils, glue sticks, a binder, and some sharpies.

Nothing really. He didn't grow. Grandparents bought another pair of shoes.