Why I Had to Go To Work

(Okay not the only reason and certainly not the biggest, but a factor none the less.)

 

Checks I Have Written to the School  in the Last Month

 

School Photos

$10 (for the smallest package) x 4 kids =$40 (not sure why I buy the school photos since I am a photographer and do portraits of my kids every year, but there is something about a school pic that says so much about the kids - perhaps because I know it won't be the only portrait during the year so I let them have more say in their wardrobe for the day.)

 

Magnets made from pictures drawn by my kids (an annual fundraiser for the school)

$5.50 X 4 kids = $22 (this is one of those things that seemed harmless when I only had one kid in school, but now that there's 4 of them and the magnet thing is a tradition - the oldest kid has 6 magnets - and the youngest school age kid was so excited that he'd get a magnet this year, well . . . )

 

Fall Festival

$54 for "admission" armbands and 2 food ticket per family member (again a tradition that seemed harmless when only one kid was in school, but has gotten a bit painful.  This is on top of donating candy/prizes/cookies in the name of EACH child, as well as something for EACH child's class basket (ie family night basket full of games, movies, treats, etc.) that is auctioned off.  I'm sure I spent $100 or more this year)

 

Field Trip

$10 for ticket to The Cay play (this one I don't mind because it falls in the realm of "educational," but still it's more money.)

 

Lunch Money

$20 - 50 depending on which kid, totalling around $100 for Oct (I vowed the kids would only eat the occasional school lunch and would take a juice box rather than buy milk, but the kids quickly got tired of that and mutinied.  So with the exception of M who is really picky, they occasionally take a home made lunch, and M would rather buy a milk. So at $1.75 per lunch and $0.50 for milk this quickly adds up.)

 

Year Books

$20 x 2 = $40 (technically this will be next month, but why leave it out when I know it's coming.  This year I will buy 2 yearbooks.  1 for the younger kids to share (that's a discussion for another day, but do the math and I think you'll agree) and 1 for C since he is a "graduating" 5th grader.)

 

And let's not forget the winter school clothes that I've had to purchase recently and the need to keep hair trimmed so as not to be turned in for neglect and the current condition of M & E's shoes will soon require replacing and teacher gifts for Christmas and . . .

 

And I thought diapers and formula were expensive!