Need advice on back to school shopping...?

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Well, I feel kind of stupid asking for advice on here, but I REALLY need it. So, I start high school next week and I still haven't went school shopping. I have about two pairs of jeans, and two/three shirts from last year that I can still wear, but other than that I need new clothes, under garments, and shoes (boots, but I may be able to get some for Christmas) My mom gave me $140 to buy all my clothes and school supplies, but to be honest that's not enough. I mean it is, but I need a new backpack and clothes and supplies. I wish I didn't go to such a judgmental school, like I would just get one new outfit and that's it but I don't want people to think bad things about me.
So, what should I do? Buy my supplies, then clothes with whatever I have left? Like, I really want to concentrate on my school work and not worry about my appearance but part of me will still worry about what others think. I probably can't get any more money from my mom, so i'm not going to bother to ask. The stores I'm interested going to are: H&M, Forever 21, and Claire's for my earrings, etc. If I don't get a lot of new clothes do you think people will judge me? I mean some stuck up snobs will but most of the people at my school aren't that rich themselves. Have you ever judged someone for wearing the same stuff like all the time? Should I just buy really expensive stuff&only get one or two outfits or should I buy the kind of cheapish stuff and get more? PLEASE answer, give any advice possible. Like I said, I'm trying to JUST focus on school ; Not boys, trying to find love (love will find me, duh :P) My best friends moved away/ went to different schools so I'm REALLY not trying to become friends with the people that already go here, maybe some new kids, idk. I have no problem being by myself (its better than being around fake/annoying people lol) any advice you can give let me know... suggestions on cheap places to buy school supplies, clothes, backpacks, calculators... etc. I'm not ''poor'' but I just need enough to hold me over 'til Christmas and my birthday. A lot of my friends are going through this too so if I get advice I can help them too.

Answer
You're definitely headed in the right direction with H&M and Forever 21. You can always try heading over to the sales rack at any of your favorite stores. Summer's ending, so you can grab a few cute tops that you can just layer during fall or winter. I remember my mom buying our school supplies in bulk, but we never used everything she bought. Only buy the bare minimum and later on in the school year, you can ask for money to stock up again. As for what people think, it's high school. Don't even worry about it. High school is fake and socially unacceptable. These kids are oblivious to reality. They're trying to make themselves seem superior when they have no idea what's to come in the future. So, I hoped this helped. Also, Ross, Marshall's and TJ Maxx always have great prices for cute clothes.
Target too! Good luck!

Does anyone else think that the money schools make/ask parents and guardians to shell out is OUTRAGEOUS?

I do not have any children, however I teach and tutor them. I started up a program for families in need. I have about 50 kids that I enrolled in my program, and I tutor them in areas that they are having trouble with. I offer help in Math, English/Language Arts, Science, U.S. History, Social Studies, Geography, Spanish and Test Prep/Study Skills. All of my services are provided ABSOLUTELY free of charge.

I also donate and provide backpacks full of school supplies to children whose families cannot afford them, and I also pack a week's worth of bag lunches with the kids one night a week at my house so that they can take them to school and have something nutritious to eat for lunch and snacks. I also make sure that they have plenty to drink because so many children are not getting adequately hydrated in schools these days (I work in nursing and I see sick school-aged kids all of the time and too too many of them come in extremely dehydrated) and teachers aren't paying good enough attention to this issue. But that's a whole separate ballgame.

Anyway, I started this program BECAUSE I believe schools are outrageous with their demands for fees and supplies and "suggestions" for donations and such. The supply lists they send home to parents/guardians are outrageous, extensive and very costly. Also, some schools even have programs in classrooms where they want to either have breakfast, snack times or "milk breaks". This is a great idea and all, but it's not if families have to PAY for all of these things. It's not fair for the children whose families cannot afford it. Why should some children have to sit in class and watch other kids have snacks, breakfasts, juices and milks when they have none? Schools should not allow this to happen. They should either provide snacks and drinks for every child, or get rid of the "program" altogether. Some families cannot even afford to send their children to school with adequate lunches (by absolutely NO FAULT of their own), let alone with money for extra snacks, juice and milk! Give these people a break. It's simply not fair.

And don't even get me started on book fairs, plant sales, craft fairs, Christmas gift sales and things like that. (Most of these proceeds do not go 100% to the schools, and if they don't, in my opinion anyway, they shouldn't have them. And some families cannot afford to send their children with money for these things as I've said before, so why should some children feel left out? These are not NECESSARY things. The focus here should be on EDUCATION, not begonias!!!!)

THEREFORE, for these reasons, I started this program. Tutoring is incredibly expensive (especially if you turn to one of those Sylvan learning centers or something - sheesh!) the price of school lunches really adds up (not to mention, you really don't know if what your child is eating is nutritious at all), and school supply costs (plus those little "extra" fees they like to slide in there all of the time with those notes they send home asking for $5 here, $10 there what seems like every gosh darn week!) add up very, VERY fast.

I believe that every child is entitled to a more than decent education, no child should ever go hungry, and no child should suffer emotional distress because s/he is watching another child get something that they cannot have in school, where children are supposed to be focusing on education, not getting their feelings hurt because some of the other kids have a juicebox and s/he doesn't (schools should not even be supporting this). Schools go on and on and on about equality and fairness....but what I described above is not fair or equal at all.

And just for the record, I live on a very strict budget as so so many families do. I do my best to clip coupons and buy in bulk for the kids and I get all of my teaching supplies at the dollar store. Sometimes I get lucky and find extra supplies (like newspapers, magazines, paper, half-used notebooks, etc.) tossed out in recycling bins and things like that.

I just wanted to let all of the parents out there know that even though I don't have children of my own, I understand how much of a dent school costs can put into your wallet and I'm really trying to help make the load a little lighter for as many families as I can.


So, does ANYONE agree that schools are asking (and sometimes even demanding!) way too much? And that the costs are just outrageous? I'd love some feedback on this!!!!

Answer
I totally agree. You just summed up all the major points.

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