School supply list

What It Means

A school supplyMilk supplyHow much breast milk a parent's body makes. It's driven by supply and demand: the more often milk is removed, the more the body makes. See more list is the set of items a teacher, school or district asks each student to bring at the start of the year, often posted by grade on the school's website or sent home in the summer. It usually covers paper goods, writing tools, folders or binders and art materials. BudgetingBudgetA plan for a set period, usually a month, that lists the money you expect to receive and how you'll spend or save it. See more for it means pricing each line, multiplying by the number of children, and setting the money aside over the weeks before school starts.

How Parents Say It

• "The supply list came out and it's two pages long."
• "Third grade wants 24 pencils and four glue sticks again."
• "Do we really need the name-brand markers?"

The Breakdown

Worked example (example prices). One child, six weeks before school:

$80 ÷ 6 weeks = $13.33 a week. For two children with the same list, the total and the weekly figure double. This $80 matches the supplies line in Buhata's back-to-school prepBack-to-school prepThe jobs a family does in the weeks before school starts, from checkups and forms to supplies, a budget and shifting bedtime earlier. See more example, which adds clothes, shoes and fees on top.

What the result means. The weekly amount is what to set aside so the list is paid for by the first day. If it's more than the budget allows, buy what's needed in the first week and pick up the rest as it goes on sale.

By grade. As a rough guide (Buhata's own), lists change as children move up: younger grades lean toward crayons, glue and shared classroom items, and older grades toward binders, notebooks by subject and sometimes a specific calculator. Use your child's own list each year rather than last year's.

Good to Know

Consumer Reports suggests setting your budget before you shop, starting early so you can catch sales, comparing prices, and trying dollar stores, office supply stores and warehouse clubs, where families can split bulk packs. It also notes that some states hold summer sales tax holidays, each with its own rules on which items qualify and how much you can spend, so check your state's revenue department. The FTC's consumer blog suggests treating the shopping trip as a chance to teach kids about money. Check what you already have at home before buying.

Related Terms and Categories

• Back-to-school prep

  The jobs a family does in the weeks before school starts, from checkups and forms to supplies, a budget and shifting bedtime earlier.

• Sinking fund

  Money set aside in small, regular amounts for a known future cost, so the bill doesn't land on a single paycheck.

• Backpack station

  A set spot near the door, usually hooks plus a shelf or bin, where school bags and the things that go with them live between school days.

• Homework station

  One set spot at home for schoolwork, stocked with the supplies a child needs, so homework starts in the same quiet place each day.

• Back-to-school night

  An evening event early in the school year where parents visit the school, meet teachers and hear the class routines and expectations for the year.

• Room parent

  A parent volunteer who acts as the go-between for a class's teacher and its families, handling messages, sign-ups and class events as the teacher directs.

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