Anonymous wrote:I did last year for convenience and because it's a fundraiser for the school.
But then in August the school sent a list of additional items needed that weren't in the pre-ordered box.
So I had to run out and buy those anyway.
Because of that, I may skip it this year. You're right that the school boxes are more expensive than buying on your own.

Yeah, I've never bought one of those kits but I've heard that they sometimes have things in them that are never used and often are missing items that you would have to run out to buy anyway.

You're being taken advantage of because there are a lot of things that you do not know. Go buy school supplies only for your children, and do not get sucked into buying these kits. Think.

Our school provides one kid with supplies and the other we purchase the kit.

Oh hell yes I order them, just paid for three for next year! SAHM with all the time in the world, but that is not how I want to spend my time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a working mom. It saves me time to buy the kits. Time is money. I'm happy.

This. I would rather not spend my leisure time to look for the specific marker and paper the teacher wants. Win/win for me and the school.

Same here and I'm a SAHM. Shoot me in the head if my summer pleasures is finding the right eraser.

I have no beef with anyone wanting to buy the kit. But its really not that hard - like I said upthread, I go to Target once for both kids and spend at most 15-20 minutes on this. I have never had to go to a second store or track down something weird because Target didn't have it. So "finding the right eraser" is not really part of the equation.

It is also not an issue because you can do substitutes without a problem. Just ask the school. It is only brand specific because that's what the kit comes with.

I never buy the kits, I get it at Target or Walmart or wherever. My school does not do lists that are so specific it is a PITA to find stuff. No blue Five Star 3 subject composition notebook or whatever. If they need something really specific, they buy it for the kids. Parochial school.

I buy uniforms from Amazon. That can be a pain to get a good fit but I give myself enough time to get the wrong sizes a few times and reorder on Prime.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a working mom. It saves me time to buy the kits. Time is money. I'm happy.

This. I would rather not spend my leisure time to look for the specific marker and paper the teacher wants. Win/win for me and the school.

Same here and I'm a SAHM. Shoot me in the head if my summer pleasures is finding the right eraser.

I have no beef with anyone wanting to buy the kit. But its really not that hard - like I said upthread, I go to Target once for both kids and spend at most 15-20 minutes on this. I have never had to go to a second store or track down something weird because Target didn't have it. So "finding the right eraser" is not really part of the equation.

I wish we had kits at our school. Woukd be happy to pay extra for the convenience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I go to Target once, in July, when everything is in stock and nothing is on sale and it's STILL $10 less per kid than the kits. But that's not why I do it. My kids like to pick their pencil bags and composition books and other items where the color is not specified. (I have 2 girls, who are easy to take shopping, and I SAH. I can understand why others would do the kits but we look forward to it.)

Your school doesn't pool supplies? Surprising.

They pool pencils and loose leaf and glue sticks, etc. but not folders, composition notebooks, pencil cases, binders, scissors, markers. At the student open house right before school you see what is pooled and what goes into your child's desk. I can't imagine any school pools pencil cases.

I label everything to be my child's. I send in extra for other kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I go to Target once, in July, when everything is in stock and nothing is on sale and it's STILL $10 less per kid than the kits. But that's not why I do it. My kids like to pick their pencil bags and composition books and other items where the color is not specified. (I have 2 girls, who are easy to take shopping, and I SAH. I can understand why others would do the kits but we look forward to it.)

Your school doesn't pool supplies? Surprising.

They pool pencils and loose leaf and glue sticks, etc. but not folders, composition notebooks, pencil cases, binders, scissors, markers. At the student open house right before school you see what is pooled and what goes into your child's desk. I can't imagine any school pools pencil cases.

Anonymous wrote:I go to Target once, in July, when everything is in stock and nothing is on sale and it's STILL $10 less per kid than the kits. But that's not why I do it. My kids like to pick their pencil bags and composition books and other items where the color is not specified. (I have 2 girls, who are easy to take shopping, and I SAH. I can understand why others would do the kits but we look forward to it.)

Your school doesn't pool supplies? Surprising.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a working mom. It saves me time to buy the kits. Time is money. I'm happy.

This. I would rather not spend my leisure time to look for the specific marker and paper the teacher wants. Win/win for me and the school.

Same here and I'm a SAHM. Shoot me in the head if my summer pleasures is finding the right eraser.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a working mom. It saves me time to buy the kits. Time is money. I'm happy.

This. I would rather not spend my leisure time to look for the specific marker and paper the teacher wants. Win/win for me and the school.

Same here and I'm a SAHM. Shoot me in thrbhead if my summer pleasures is finding the right eraser.

No. I buy all supplies and also supplement 2-3x what is required to help the classroom and other kids. I also send Amazon boxes of supplies directly to the teacher a few times a year.

Anonymous wrote:I'm a working mom. It saves me time to buy the kits. Time is money. I'm happy.

This. I would rather not spend my leisure time to look for the specific marker and paper the teacher wants. Win/win for me and the school.