Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, August 9, 1993 TAG: 9308060334
SECTION: MONEY PAGE: 6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MAG POFF STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
If those words toll heavily on young ears, pity as well the poor parents whose financial well-being is equally threatened at this time of year.
That's because getting the kids back in school can be an expensive undertaking.
Irene Leech, family finance specialist with the Virginia Tech Cooperative Extension Service at Blacksburg, said the situation requires budgeting, study and a recollection about those incidentals waiting just around the corner.
Parents are under pressure, from their children and from the school, she said.
First it comes from the kids when it's time to go shopping. They utter those immortal words, passed from generation to generation: "Everybody has one."
"It's most important for people to sit down with a budget," Leech said. Start with a plan before you go shopping.
And remember, she said, "you don't know everything you need before school starts."
In other words, save some of the budgeted money for the surprises that will spring on you with the first few weeks of school.
Sit down with the children and make a list of the clothing you need, Leech advised. If a child needs jeans and three shirts, write that down and stick to it.
If you buy outfits, be sure that the pieces can be interchanged to create the maximum number of clothing changes.
Shopping without a list can lead to financial disaster, she said, because "there's all kinds of nifty things out there.
And if the child still is growing, she said, buy inexpensively. Don't bring home clothing "that will last forever because the kids will not wear it forever."
If the child wants a shirt decorated with Barney the dinosaur, Leech said, ask yourself how long that particular fad will be "in." And, when it's "out," what will happen to the shirt? Chances are the child won't be interested in wearing it anymore.
A budget is prepared for "learning purposes," Leech said. Involve the children in setting the budget and preparing the list.
Going back to school, she added, children must learn that "there are limits to money."
If the kids want extra outfits, Leech said, they might be willing to settle for buying them at second-hand stores and yard sales.
On the other hand, don't let them blow everything on one special outfit with a prestigious brand label; because time is important, too. Make clear, she advised, that "you're not going to wash every day of the week."
Send them to school "with something to write with and something to write on," according to Leech.
You can buy rulers and markers, she said, but no fancy notebooks or paper yet. Teacher may very well impose special requirements once school has started.
Before you buy a lunch box, no matter how cool the kid thinks it is, ask yourself a question, Leech said. Will you pack a lunch every day or will the child buy lunch in school?
Once the children are in school, Leech pointed out, they will be offered insurance, usually accident insurance.
Before you just buy it, she said, consider whether your regular health and household coverage is enough. If so, she said, don't duplicate it. If not, budget now for the insurance.
Soon you will also get subscription forms for My Weekly Reader magazine, she said.
Will your child read them? Or is the copy in the school's library an alternative?
Again, she said, either budget for them or skip it. But don't feel pressured by the school into buying something your child won't use.
Budget now, she said, for any book fees, class pictures and every other school costs you can think of.
You can consider whether you really need a standardized gym outfit or whether some other, probably cheaper, workout clothes will do. But Leech said parents should also consider that a child who doesn't conform can be ostracized, so you may want to buy this item. Again, budget for it now.
Don't spend all of your back-to-school money on clothing this month, Leech warned. Unless you've saved something for book fees and other expenses, your family finances could be in trouble later.
"Parents are pressured, they really are," Leech said. "Sometimes they really don't know what to do."
Leech suggested talking about the problem with other parents and with the teacher. Go to teacher meetings, she said, to find out which items your children really need.
by CNB