Lifestyle
The Bay Area mom spending $1,700 on calculators, wrestling fees and school donations
“Back-to-school used to mean buying some fun supplies and a few new clothes,” says the San Francisco Bay Area mom behind today’s Bank of Mom and Dad spending diary. “Now, it feels like I’m having to stretch my budget just to keep up with all the donation requests.” As she tells guest editor Lindsey Stanberry of The Purse, those donation requests are coming from her kids’ school district amid funding concerns. “This was the first year I felt the school district was relying on parents to cover its budget shortfalls,” she shares, adding that this can add up to an extra $1,500 and $2,000. “I want to support the school where I can, but I just can’t manage that kind of expense at the start of the year.” Here’s how she does her best to support her school — while trying to keep her teen son’s back-to-school makeovers in check.
I live in Dublin, Calif., in the San Francisco Bay Area. I work as a product manager at a small startup, and my husband is the chief marketing officer at the same company. We have two kids in high school. We love our school and all the amazing programs it offers, but this year we’ve been a bit stressed about the many donation requests coming our way that we didn’t expect or budget for.
Age: 44
Location: Dublin, Calif.
About our kids: Our son is 14 and a rising freshman, and our daughter is 16 and starting her junior year.
Type of school: Both attend the same public high school.
Family income range: $200,000
Back-to-school receipts
Where did you do most of your shopping? We bought everything but the backpack online.
Amazon: $221.50 total for a TI-84 calculator (needed a more sophisticated calculator for my daughter’s advanced physics class), a five-pack of single-subject notebooks, a graph paper notebook, red pens, a protractor, a ruler, highlighters, a five-pack of folders, a sketchbook, a mechanical pencil set, a one-inch binder and loose-leaf graph paper. (I made four separate Amazon orders for all these supplies.)
Tilly’s: $184.10 for five shirts and a backpack for my son
Total: $405.60
Cross-country uniform and suggested per-athlete donation for my son: $370.95
My daughter wrestles in the winter, so there will be a suggested donation of around $200. (My son and daughter haven’t decided what sports they’ll play in the spring; I anticipate an additional $200 per student per sport on top of this total if they do sign up.)
Total: $570.95
Other school-related expenses
$405 for all-student-body passes for both kids (includes class shirts, yearbook and access to all home games)
$55 for a parking permit for my daughter
Various class donations:
$50 for athletic boosters.
$25 for the consumer and family studies department. My daughter is in the culinary program, so I contribute when I can.
$25 for the wellness center. This provides free feminine products, snacks and other support to any student who needs it during the school day. I love that the school offers this, so I contribute when I can.
$100 to the “dollar a day” contribution fund, which is a general fund for all students.
$30 for Class of 2027 donation, which helps fund homecoming activities and other class events.
$30 for Class of 2029 donation.
Total: $725.95
Total back-to-school spend: $1,702.50
Tell us more
How do you approach back-to-school shopping? Do you set a budget?
I try to stick to a budget, but it’s difficult because I never know what donations will be requested or how much is expected per student. Sports are especially hard to plan for since new uniforms can be introduced at any time, and everyone is required to contribute. This is also my son’s first year running, and I’ve already had to buy him two pairs of new running shoes, with another pair needed in October.
How do your kids feel about back-to-school shopping? What are they asking for this year?
My son wanted a new backpack and shirts for his “new high school look.” My daughter has a part-time job and likes thrifting, so she purchased all her back-to-school clothes over the summer.
How do you manage your kids’ back-to-school shopping expectations?
I’ll let the kids know ahead of time what I’m comfortable spending on clothes or shoes. Obviously, school items are what they are. If the teacher asks for them, I do my best to find the best deals, but nothing stays in stock for long in store. I don’t get a school item checklist until after school starts, which means lots of separate Amazon purchases.
What is the biggest stressor of back-to-school shopping?
Finding the correct sizes of clothes, finding the right in-stock school items and ensuring I have enough of a budget to cover all of the donation requests.
Have you ever regretted a back-to-school purchase?
My son always goes through this phase where he wants to change his look before the school year, which means he typically wants a pair of shoes that don’t fit his usual attire. Needless to say, he wears them for a week and reverts to his old look. Thankfully, this year, he didn’t ask for anything that was too far out of his regular style.
How does your back-to-school shopping experience compare to what you grew up with?
My mom would take me out for a day of shopping. I don’t remember her enforcing a budget, but I was also mindful that we didn’t have a ton of money, so I didn’t ask for too much. I don’t recall ever asking my folks to contribute to different school funds or classroom fees.