Kids' School Needs More Money

Recession Affecting Schools

It seems to never end—the streams of money that my children’s schools are expecting me to give to them just so they can either go on field trips or buy team shirts. I can do everything to avoid these, but they never let up. A payday loan may be in my future if they do not end. With the recession taking hold of everyone, it makes sense they need to let up on these requests. What can we do to lessen this stream? Schools are doing this to parents the nation over. Follow these tips to stop the endless stream of money leaving your account and going to the school’s account.

Budget Well—Budget Often

If your child is constantly bringing home notes that ask you for money for everything under the sun, it may be hard to budget this. However, there’s one thing working for you when they do this. If you plan ahead, you can budget for these expenses. After your child gives you the note, look for the due date. This may be before your next payday. You will have some time to put this expense in your budget. If not, there is still a way to plan for the myriad of expenses the school is expecting you to pay.

Once you create a budget, be sure that you have allowed some extra money in it for school expenses. Choose how much you think will be needed and then allow about $ 10 above that amount. You should be able to cover for extra expense notes your little angel brings home. If you do not have to use this money for school expenses, this does not mean you can spend it. You can put this into your savings instead. It will allow you to grow your savings for emergencies.

Choose Your Expenses

Can you choose your expenses? Every time an expense note comes home, you have an option to say no to it. Do not pay for every single fund raiser or any other event, as these are optional. Though some of them may be for curriculum related items, all notes that come to you are optional. I only pay for the curriculum related events, such as field trips and choir shirts, while ignoring the rest of the notes. If you must wait until your next pay period to pay your chosen school expenses, this may be entirely possible to do.

Negotiate with the School

If you just do not have the money to pay on time for an expense such as a field trip, try calling the school. Paying late or having the fee waived may be possible if you share your situation with them. They will be willing to work with you on any of the curriculum related expenses, so try this before you go take out a payday loan. Avoid paying the excessive interest rates by knowing what you are getting into if you have to do this.

Bottom Line

Remember—you do NOT have to pay for everything your child brings home. Should your district impose fees at the beginning of the year, you may get them waived. When your children get approved for a free or reduced meals status, these fees can be waived for you. While some fees must be paid in full, you may be able to negotiate others. Take it upon yourself to choose your own expenses. Following these tips will allow you to reduce the amount of payday loans you will need throughout the year.