How to spend less on clothes, shoes, supplies, lunches -- even tutoring
BARGAIN CLOTHES THAT LAST
The average mom allots the bulk of her back-to-school budget for clothes, expecting to spend twice as much on them as on supplies like paper and pens. To help you get more for your money, we put basic jeans and tees through the wringer, testing shrinkage, colorfastness, fading, and fabric strength. We also looked at garment construction and checked that items ran true to size. Finally, we compared the discount-store clothes ($3 to $20) with a few similar but pricier name-brand ones ($25 to $55; see box, next page). Here, our value picks.
1 OLD NAVY
BUY The trendy Girlfriend Bootcut girls' jeans (above, $19.50) are supersturdy and look great after lots of laundering. Boys' and girls' polos ($9.50 to $12.50) are also good picks. The durable knit of the boy's shirt shrinks little, though the cut is small. The girl's top (left) has lots of reinforced stitching (a sign of quality), but shrank a bit.
SKIP The so-so boys' faded bootcut jeans ($19.50) are simply not worth the price.
2 KMART
BUY Second among the 10 boys' jeans (after the nearly indestructible $26 Levi's), Basic Editions Boys' Jeans ($10) can handle a lot of abuse -- and won't hurt your wallet. Basic Editions Flare Jeans ($13) are the best of the seven girls' pairs. These tough, well-made pants won't fade, but they do shrink a tad. Basic Editions Girl's Polo ($11) is well-sewn with a reinforced collar.
SKIP Basic Editions T-shirts for boys and girls ($7 to $10) are just not as durable or well made as others.
3 WALMART
BUY At $3.50, the Faded Glory boys' and girls' T-shirts are just right for stocking up -- and they're so inexpensive that we can forgive some shrinkage (especially because they're generously sized to begin with). Faded Glory boys' Relaxed and Slim Stretch girls' Flare jeans ring up at less than $10 each, and the girl's pair performed better than the girl's Levi's that cost two and a half times more.
SKIP Compared with others, the Faded Glory polos for boys ($5) are just OK.
4 TARGET
BUY The Cherokee line warrants a look. Boys' polos ($7) are made of strong cotton; they do run small. The fabric of the girls' tees is somewhat weak, but they're a bargain at just $6 each. Cherokee boys' jeans ($14) are sized well and shrink little; the fabric strength is just average, which may not be best for a rough-and-tumble child.
SKIP The Mossimo Supply Girls' Distressed jeans ($15) might look cool at first, but within a few months, they'll be unappealingly ratty.
5 SEARS
BUY For older and younger boys, respectively, consider Canyon River Blues chest-striped T-shirts ($8) and Toughskins polos ($8). These, as well as Canyon River Blues Boys' Straight Leg jeans ($17), have lots of double stitching, but all will shrink a bit. For girls, Canyon River Blues Stretch Flare jeans ($20) are a great fit and won't shrink.
SKIP Toughskins Classic Fit jeans ($15) for younger boys suffer from weaker fabric -- a big concern if knees are often scuffed.
GHRI INSIGHTS
What's in a Name?
As with the bargain brands, the pricier ones we purchased for comparison yielded mixed results. The Lacoste girl's striped polo ($55) topped its category, but the boy's version ($45) wasn't so great; it's sized small and lacks reinforced stitching on the button opening. Levi's 550 relaxed fit jeans for boys ($26), made of extremely strong denim, aced our tests. On the girls' side, Levi's Stretch Flare jeans ($25) didn't set themselves apart, aside from their higher price. We also looked at Ralph Lauren tees for girls ($25), and a Quiksilver top for boys ($26); all that made an impression was their cost. The bottom line: A girl's Lacoste polo or a pair of boy's Levi's may be worth the splurge, especially if younger siblings will inherit them.
TOPS FOR TOPS
BUY Of the 16 girls' tops tested, JCPenney's Arizona polo ($20) came in second after the Lacoste (see box, left) -- and at less than half its price. Both shirts have good fabric strength and are well made and true to size; neither shrank. One difference: The Arizona shirt faded a touch after five washes. JCPenney's Arizona T-shirt ($9.50 to $10.50) is the winner among the 15 boys' tops, although it shrank a bit, so consider sizing up.
SKIP Arizona girls' T-shirts ($13): They shrink a lot, and edge stitching may unravel; other tees are better.
GHRI INSIGHTS
Great Buys Online
The cost of sports equipment and beginner musical instruments can add up, and they can be quickly outgrown (both size- and interest-wise). For these purchases, consider buying secondhand. We evaluated 16 Web sites offering used gear. Our findings:
Not surprisingly, eBay.comand amazon.comranked highest for their massive inventories and ease of navigation. On eBay, you can "win" your item in an online auction or, in many cases, skip the waiting and wondering (will the price jump?) and choose to Buy It Now at a preset price; tutorials on the site walk new users through the process. A search on Amazon yields new products and, often, used ones offered by partner merchants on the same page; if used items are available, the prices are clearly posted to show your potential savings.
We also like the smaller us.ebid.net, which is similar to eBay but listed fewer matching items in our searches.
If you luck out, you may also find your item gratis throughfreecycle.org, a community-based network of giving and receiving. Sign up for your local group; search for your item, or post a query and keep your fingers crossed that a generous soul comes through. (It's also a nice way to get rid of your old stuff!)
Super Sneakers
For your kids' go-to shoes, not just any sneakers will do. We examined 20 pairs, $60 or less, for cushioning thickness, sole flexion, and heel and arch support -- all important for active, growing feet. We also evaluated material quality and stain resistance. Then, kids rated the shoes on style. The $10 cheapies didn't step up to the challenge, but these shoes did.
1 RUNAWAY WINNER
The synthetic New Balance NB630 ($50) earned perfect scores on cushioning and flex tests, and high marks for support. Reinforced stitching ups durability, and most stains came off with soap and water (the toughie: grass). Kids liked it; some said it was too running shoe-like for daily wear. In boys' and girls' styles.
2 FIRST FOR FASHION
Both boys and girls picked the unisex Stride Rite Grind Lace ($40) as their fave in the looks department. The leather and nylon shoe shed mud and resisted stains well, and has double stitching and reinforced toes to avoid scuffing. The only category in which the shoe didn't excel is cushioning, which is a bit thin.
3 STAIN SHEDDER
For a child who likes to get dirty, consider the Brooks Defyance ($60): Mud and set-in grass, grape juice, and ketchup stains disappeared from the breathable poly-nylon material. The lab awarded high marks for cushioning and support, and younger kids in particular gave a fashion thumbs-up. In boys' and girls' styles.
4 SPRIGHTLY VALUE
The Saucony Cohesion GT($40) is made of leather and mesh with reinforced stitching -- all marks of a quality shoe. This sneaker also has very good support and good cushioning, and the sole has superb flexibility and traction for kids who love to climb. Plus, the exterior aced our stain check. In boys' and girls' styles.
Free Tutoring!
Boost your child's skills and avoid budget-busting tutors' fees with free academic help found on the Web. We reviewed 22 educational sites, assessing range and quality of lessons and ease of navigation. These seven made the grade.
GHRI INSIGHTS
Food for Thought
When it comes to price, you can't beat the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The average cost of a hot meal is $2.08. Since the typical lunch packed at home costs $3.43, sending your child through the lunch line will save you $243 per year (plus the time spent planning and prepping those meals). What's more, NSLP menus must meet nutrition requirements for calories, fat, protein, vitamins A and C, iron, and calcium.
But giving your child lunch money doesn't mean she'll use it to buy the best options. Besides NSLP meals, many school districts also serve à la carte fare (such as chips and slushies). To steer your child in the right direction, says Katie Wilson, Ph.D., president of the School Nutrition Association, discuss the school menu in advance and suggest:
Including three colors of food on the tray (to encourage eating fruits and veggies)
Considering portion size (one trick: No item should be larger than your child's hand)
Using half the packet of condiments, to limit sodium
Thermal Containers-Which Work?
We tested thermal bottles as an alternative to pricey juice boxes. Surprisingly, of the 19 we tried, only one kept contents safe for up to six hours.
1 HOT LUNCH
A fabulous find, the Thermos Funtainer Food Jar ($15) can safely store hot stews, stir-fries, and more for up to six hours. Heat food well -- it should be steaming throughout -- before transferring it to the container. Younger kids should ask an adult to open the jar so hot contents don't splash out. (Note: The jar isn't suitable for cold foods.) In Barbie, Spider-Man, Tinker Bell, and Jonas Brothers prints.
2 SAFE SIPPER
The Sigg Thermo Bottle Fashion Line ($35), our winner, has a 25-ounce capacity, so it's too large to send along with young children but will work well if you've got a sporty teen who wants to stay hydrated with a cold drink. It also performed well at retaining hot temperatures, so it would be a good choice for a coffee-, tea-, or soup-loving young adult. In prints, black, and white.
Prefer to pack? After you clip coupons and check the store circulars, try these three money-saving tips
Compare cold-cuts costs We found on-sale storebrand turkey for $3 less per pound than a national brand. At a pound a week, that's a school-year savings of more than $100.
Don't buy prewashed, precut fruits and veggies We found a 16-ounce bag of green apple slices for $4 -- and could have gotten two more pounds of whole apples for the same price.
Divide snacks -- or make your own We found store- brand popcorn kernels for 5 cents per serving, and brand-name single-serve bags for 60 cents each -- 12 times more!
WEB SITE | ACADEMIC STRENGTHS | NEEDS IMPROVEMENT | |
MULTIPLE SUBJECTS | hippocampus.org | It offers help on 10 high school subjects, such as biology and U.S. history. Excellent written, audio, and video tutorials have review questions sprinkled throughout. You'll also find interactive aids for 100-plus textbooks. | While the site provided good answers for five of our nine sample questions, it lacks a section on English grammar. Also missing: foreign language support. |
cliffsnotes.com | Beyond literature guides (though, yes, the site has nearly 200 free ones), cliffsnotes.com has info for grades 7 and up, including basic French and Spanish and 10 sciences. The Cheat Sheets are great for pre-test review. | The tutorials are mainly overviews, and might not be thorough enough to clear up a student's confusion about a concept. The site lacks practice problems to reinforce lessons. | |
MATH | intmath.com | A great resource for high school math: Concepts of algebra, probability, calculus, and other subjects are explained clearly and thoroughly. The search engine tracks down topics (say, scientific notation) quickly. | Some of IntMath's pages are cluttered, which can make navigation a little frustrating. Prominent advertisements can be distracting. |
sosmath.com | This site for grades 9 and up teaches by examples -- you'll find tons of problems and step-by-step solutions for trigonometry, calculus, and more. Practice quizzes let students learn by trial and error. | While it touched on each of our three sample math questions, the lessons mainly provided only a brief overview, which may not be enough for a child who needs more explanation. | |
ENGLISH | owl.english.purdue.edu | The Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) offers 200 free lessons and guides for grades 7 and up. You'll find advice on structuring a thesis or essay, doing research, and avoiding composition pitfalls. | Surprisingly, it lacks a dictionary and thesaurus. And while many topics are covered, not all lessons go into as much depth as we would have liked. |
grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/index.htm | This site concentrates mainly on the mechanics of writing and less on the creative process of composing a paper. Detailed pages explain parts of speech, sentence structure, and paragraph flow. | With 170-plus quizzes, there's plenty of practice, but in some tests the user's wrong answers aren't noted; it can be annoying to scroll up and down to learn from mistakes. | |
SCIENCE | physicsclassroom.com | The superbly organized site gives tutorials and excellent multimedia examples (video and audio) that demystify concepts of physics. The sample problems are illustrated and clearly explained. | At press time, the site lacked a search engine, so homing in on one topic was time-consuming. However, there are plans to add a search function soon. |