What do you do when you can't find the "right" item for the school list?

I've been able to find everything to match the school list, except the glue sticks. I've been able to match brands and quantities just fine except for that. What has been requested is 1.23 oz Ross glue sticks. I can find the Ross brand at WalMart in the smaller size of sticks. I can find a 1.4 oz Target brand stick. Office Max and Office Depot don't list the brand at all on their websites. And I learned today that the teacher supply store that I knew about has been replaced with a pet store.

So what do you do? Do you get the right brand in the smaller size and get extras? (I need 8 total of the larger size.) Do you get the closest to the right size in the wrong brand? Or do you just buy the Elmer's that is in the discount tubs?

My dh has a conspiracy theory about this. Our high school booster clubs sell all the school supplies in a kit with a mark-up for a fund-raiser. He thinks they come up with one odd thing that drives you nuts so the next year you buy the kit. And this glue is on list every year through elem. school.

Marissa

 

I would buy the one that matches quantity most closely. I to stay away from generics on glue sticks, though--many years of them drying out way too quickly. For them, I tend to stick with the Elmers sticks.

 

If I can't find it, I just go with whatever I can find. I do try my best, but I've seen how other kids in class don't have the requested brands, or the expensive brand of something comes back unused, so I'm not as particular about it as I used to be.

 

I think your husband is right, haha! He sounds like a fun guy to have around, too. I think I'd email the teacher & ask her opinion, or buy the brand specified in the closest size to that specified. I've never heard of asking for specific brands of things like that, but you could always purchase an extra glue stick for each of them to make up for the fact that the ones you bought are smaller then send the extra one to school when they need it.

I don't have to buy school supplies for ours because we pay a fee & the supplies are provided. I think if the markup wasn't too high for the fundraiser kits I'd buy that to save myself the hassle of school supply shopping if our school did it like yours.

 

Thanks ladies. I'll probably just get the brand specified and send a few extra.

As to the packs from the school, I'm really deciding it's a rip-off. The kindergarten pack is $20 per kid, so $40 total for me. With all the back to school discounts, I've probably spent $15 total for both kids and I have a ton of extras to replace and replinesh through-out the year. If I bought the packs, I'd still have to restock through-out the year. I just don't see 1 folder coming home everyday making it through the year.

I'm already noticing that our district is big on letting the parents pay for convience. It's a pretty well-off district and they're letting us pay for busing this year if we want the convience (it's $150). The stated reason for adding all-day kindergarten is so that parents can pay for the all-day for convience because it is cheaper than day-care (for 2 kids that would be $4050 for us). I get very skeptical already when they start offering things for our convience.

Marissa

 

Our school does the kits too and even sends out orders forms for backpacks. I think it's a rip-off. I prefer to go and get the stuff myself and hit all the sales. I'm usually buying stuff for my own classroom anyway.

I've seen kids bring in all kinds of brands even when a particular brand was specified. It's no big deal. You get what you can find.

Our homework folders last all year. My kids' school requires the plastic ones until 3rd grade, then they switch to a multi-pocket folder ordered through the school. My own students folders lasted most of the year. We had one fall apart and pulled out an extra and a plastic one that I taped up with packing tape (child with autism couldn't handle it being replaced) My students all have special needs so they are a little rougher on their folders.

 

I can't find (well, refuse to buy, b/c they're so expensive) the binders the school list says they need. They "need" 3 view binders, at least one blue.
OK, that makes sense. Organization rules.
I just had to find out what a view binder was.
I found them in Staples, they cost about $8 a piece!
So I refused to buy them, b/c that means 6 binders! (You do the math!)
So, I grumbled to myself, I either have to find them at a store where they're MUCH cheaper, or find some alternative.But I hope the teacher doesn't hate me or something in the fall.
$50? For binders? For 4th-graders?

 

Just a thought, many times a specific brand is given because of the quality. So, it may be an $8 binder, but they have found that is the one that will actually hold up all year (and probably the teachers are going with what works, and never did price checks). So, yes, you may find a similar binder for $4 each, but may need to replace it 2-3 times, so in the end you spend the same amount or more. Also, with Staples, check back often, because they rotate their back to school sale items.