Back to School Supplies

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It's hard to believe, but the kids will all be headed back to school soon.  I'm sending one child off to school for the first time, and setting up the oldest child in his first apartment.  We've been trying to keep expenses down as much as possible.

During the course of the summer, I've scoured thrift shops to find some of the necessities:

Thrift Shops-
I found a brand new set of dishes - still in the box - at Goodwill.  The price at Goodwill was $30.  Curiosity got the best of me, and I tracked down the store where the item was originally sold.  I saved over HALF on the price of dishes.  Holy cow!

Using What We Already Have-
Daughter is headed off to school, and has a cell phone, but not a smart phone.  Many of the services she needs - including the "real time" bus app, the laundry room app  (seriously - it lets you know how many washers are available and where), as well as the campus safety features are available only on a smart phone app.  I really don't want to pay for a new smart phone when we still have yet to buy her a computer, and I just replaced her old phone earlier this year.  So, here's where a weird twist of fate comes in...  When I upgraded  her phone back in January, the sales rep offered me a tablet for $1.05.   It was a cheap little mini tablet, but it was a tablet.  For $1.05, I couldn't pass it up.  Well hey, presto, change-o, we get into the summer orientation and find out about these apps that make life on a very spread out urban campus easier and safer.  So, we pulled out the tablet and ALL of the apps are available on the tablet, and they all work on the tablet!  Who-Hoo!  So, the tablet now goes off to college with daughter.  It might not be the latest and greatest smart phone or iPad, but it WORKS. 

We've been shopping in our basement, too.  Middle child is moving into a furnished on campus apartment.  Furnished with the bare minimum of items, that is.  He has claimed an old office chair to replace the uncomfortable desk chair that he will have in his room.

Believe it or not, we actually own several slow cookers - two are mine, and the rest were left here by my in-laws.  Now that we're downsizing, I went through the crock pots and regular pots with oldest child and found not only a slow cooker, but also some pots and pans that he can use.


E-Bates

I discovered E-Bates over this past month.  You sign up through E-Bates, go shopping through the link, and receive a small percentage of the price of your purchases back.  It's not a lot of money, but every little bit adds up.  Between sheets and bedding and towels for the oldest and youngest child, the expenses to add up.

My E-Bates refund was $1.28 last month.  Not a lot of money, but it's $1.28.  That money, added to the savings fund for the replacement car and bathroom remodel slowly adds up.