Back to School on a Shoe String Budget

According to Dr. Stephen Jones, parents can save thousands of dollars by mapping out a back to school shoe string budget.   Annually the cost of going back to school continues to rise.  Supplying one child for a k12 school or college can cost between $300 and $1000.  In fact one student recently said a book he purchased cost $200.  While this may not be the norm it is cause for alarm for parents who have several children. Parents must make difficult choices regarding the quality of materials their children will use to present term papers and projects that are due during the school year.  Often parents get so busy during the summer that they fail to plan a school supply budget and they end up running around from store to store trying to reduce the cost of book bags, calculators, text books, computers and etc. 

It is clear that the retail stores are doing their research and they know that parents will flood the stores around the third week of August.  Most parents would prefer to go to one store to get all of their supplies but they look in the papers and discover that the prices vary from store to store.  Dr. Jones says that parents can save hundreds of dollars by making wise purchases.  Here’s how parents can save hundreds of dollars:

1.         Don’t shop at the last minute right before school is about to start.

2.         Identify a discount school supply store so that you don’t end up shopping at the local corner store.

3.         Check the internet for sales at websites such as overstock.com.  Get together with friends and buy some things in bulk.

4.         Don’t be afraid to buy some clothing at a thrift store. You can save hundreds of dollars.

5.         Check your supplies from last year before you go out to buy new supplies.  You will reduce the chances that you are purchasing items that you have stored from last year.

6.         Ask your local school where they order their supplies from and contact the store for a catalogue or website.

7.         Consider purchasing certain items at the Dollar Store near you.

8.         Purchase books at discount websites that are on the internet

It’s amazing that some parents are willing to spend more money because they are unwilling to invest time to uncover savings.  The hundreds of dollars that are saved can help with the purchase of a new computer and printer. Don’t cave in to the temptation to putting your purchases on a credit card.  The credit card debts that parents obtain at the beginning of the school year can last until the next summer if a parent is not cautious.  Parents who are shopping on a shoe string budget recognize that credit cards are potholes that will take you thousands of dollars off track. 

Mobilize family and friends who can keep an eye out for special school supply sales.  Parents can use a number of methods to stay in touch.  First consider using the cell phone to create a list of people who will be looking out for certain supplies that you have identified.  Also, friends and family can contact you immediately when they discover a good sale.  Parents can give friends and family money in advance or ask them to pay for it and agree to pay them back.   Using e-mail can also be a good method to share websites that offer the products at prices that are not available at the stores.  The links to website can be put right within the text of the e-mail, which makes it easy fro a parent to make a purchase right away.

You can save thousands of dollars by shopping on shoe string budget.  Get started right away and you will not regret it.   Dr Stephen Jones is education consultant author of three books the Seven Secrets of How to Study, the Parent's Ultimate Education Guide and the Ultimate Scholarship Guide available at http://www.sevenbooks.net

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Should Students be Paid to Attend School

Every day in many large cities 25 percent or more of the students in middle and high school do not show up for school. They have lost faith in the school system where they are consistently three to four years behind their grade level. Students are hanging out whenever they can just to avoid school. Some expose themselves to harm or abuse from their peers and adults just to miss a day of school. This student absence problem is not going away it is growing. It is progressing as parents become more detached from their students education or they are working two jobs to keep food on the table.

The attendance crisis is also a clear indication that young people do not know the value of education. They are not aware of the career opportunity that are slipping through there fingers. They do not see that their school attendance is preparation for the world of work. Who will tell them that they get paid for showing up for work? Prisons are full of students who have dropped out of school or rarely attend school. This further complicates their ability to develop the work ethics that should be instilled at an early age

In order to resolve these issues school administrators should meet with parents and students to brainstorm possible solutions. Each community can set up a unique system that works. The parents who are at various schools can share ideas that work. For example in the computer industry they hire hackers to test how well a company is protected from hackers and viruses. Involving students in the conversation will give school administrators an opportunity to hear their issues.

In light of the attendance crisis schools need a radical solution. Here are some strategies to consider:

1. Pay students who go to after school programs to receive tutoring.

2. Track students study skills so that they will know how to improve their grades.

3. Allow students to earn a one day pass from their school where they can volunteer in the community.

4. Let students work part time during the day and take classes at night.

5. Students can earn points toward the purchase of some electronic item based on their attendance.

6. Solicit companies throughout the region to adopt a school where there are high attendance problems. Also get this company to provide mentors
for these students.




7. Get the students involved in clubs so that they can feel a sense of commitment to the schools.

8. If the student improves their attendance they become eligible to interview for internship opportunities

9. Allow the students to attend a cyber school two days out of the week.

10. Students who attend school faithfully during the 9th, 10th and 11th grade can achieve an opportunity to work part time during their senior year.

The partners who should be involved in resolving the attendance issues include parents, schools and corporations. Parents should not turn their eyes away from this critical community issue. Complex student attendance issues require innovative thinking. Sometimes students need to be saved from themselves. They often do not have the ability to see how their actions are leading them astray. Their minds may also be clouded or confused by peer pressure. It’s time to engage parents and students in a conversation that influences how schools inspire attendance. Students are constantly asking what’s the benefit of education. The message must be clear that student attendance is an integral part of their life as a students and a future employee.
Dr Stephen Jones is an education coach and author of Seven Secrets of How to Study, Parent's Ultimate Education Guide and the Ultimate Scholarship Guide information at www.studyskills2u.com