Monthly Archives: August 2009

Back-to-School Physicals

August 5, 2009

I got a letter today from my daughter’s varsity volleyball coach, telling me that she couldn’t start practice next Monday unless I handed in her physical forms this week. No worries, I thought. I’ve got them right here. I’ll just make a copy and deliver them to the district offices tomorrow.

Do you have kids who play sports or who need to turn in physical forms before the start of the school year? Then you know that these forms are not only a hassle to complete and deliver, but they can be costly, too. That’s why I’ve got 3 tips to help you stay sane and save money on back-to-school physicals.

1. Bring the paperwork with you to your child’s well check.
If your pediatrician is like mine, then I can ask her to fill out as many health forms as I’d like–just as long as I make this request during my child’s well check or another regular office visit. What happens if I forget and ask another time to complete the forms? The doctor will charge me $25 to $40 for this “service.”

2. Make a copy of all health forms before handing in.
Even if your child isn’t old enough yet to attend school or play high school sports, it’s a good idea to visit your school district’s website and download the district’s standard health forms. You can use these when you sign your child up for day care, camp or another activity than requires proof of an annual physical. And make sure you make copies of the original, filled-out forms before you hand them in. You never know when you’ll need another health form. I’ve found that places like camps will accept physical forms for up to a year from when they were dated–meaning that if my daughters get their well checks this August–and we have health forms filled out–I can use those same forms next June to register them for camp.

3. Find a walk-in clinic if you’re in a pinch.
OK, so you didn’t follow the advice in points 1 or 2, and now you’re staring down a deadline, like the start of fall sports. Well, guess what? You can head over to a walk-in clinic, like the Minute Clinics at CVS, and, for abour $15, have the person on staff there give your child a once over and sign off on the paperwork. I mean the page that the doctor has to sign just includes innocuous things that any health professional could record–height, weight, blood pressure, vision, and medical and musculoskeletal findings.

Let me know if you have other ways to make back-to-school physicals and their related paperwork easier to deal with–both mentally and fiscally.

Tax-Free Shopping for Back to School

August 4, 2009

By Leah Ingram

I’m lucky enough to live in a state that doesn’t charge sales tax on clothing. This helps tremendously with saving money when shopping for back-to-school clothing, and is one of the reasons that when we go outlet shopping, we like to target states with no sales tax–such as New Hampshire.

The good news is that you, too, can enjoy some tax-free shopping, without leaving the comfort of your home state. That’s because for a few weeks each summer, many U.S. states offer sales-tax holidays–when, just as it sounds, you can shop without paying sales tax. Now that’s not to say that your won’t pay any sales tax on what you buy. There are usually certain criteria that vary from state to state.

Why am I telling you this now? Well, it fits with this week’s back-to-school theme, and because this coming Friday starts tax-free shopping holidays in a handful of states. So heads up that August 7-9 may be the best days for you to head out and shop for back-to-school necessities.

Here’s a date-by-date, state-by-state rundown (as best as I could research) on upcoming sales tax holidays.

(Note: If your state does not appear here, it’s because it either does not participate in a tax-free holiday, your state canceled its tax-free holiday this year, or the date for that holiday has already passed.)

August 7-9
Alabama Sales Tax Holiday: Clothing costing less than $100 per item; computers and supplies costing less than $750 each; basic school supplies costing less than $50 each; books under $30 each (does not include magazines).
Iowa Sales Tax Holiday: Clothing and footwear priced under $100. Note: Holiday is August 7 & 8 only.
Louisiana Sales Tax Holiday: Any purchase (excluding vehicles) up to $2,500. (Cha-ching, if you’ve got $2,500 to spend!) Note: Holiday is August 7 & 8 only.
Missouri Sales Tax Holiday: Clothing priced at $100 or less; school supplies costing $50 or less per purchase; computer software priced at less than $350, and computers and peripheral devices (such as a printer or scanner) each cheaper than $3,500.
New Mexico Sales Tax Holiday: Clothing prices at $100 or less; computers costing $1,000 or less; school supplies costing less than $15 (man, that’s not very much, is it!)
North Carolina Sales Tax Holiday: Clothing, footwear, and school supplies of $100 or less per item; school instructional materials of $300 or less per item; sports and recreation equipment of $50 or less per item, computers of $3,500 or less per item. (Wow, that’s pretty generous!)
Oklahoma Sales Tax Holiday: Clothing and shoes costing less than $100 each.
South Carolina Sales Tax Holiday: Amazingly, there is no price limit on the sales tax-free products you can buy during this “holiday.” Those products include clothing, footwear, school supplies (pens, papers, notebooks, etc.), computers (including printers, supplies and software) and, get this, dorm room supplies (such as blankets, bed sheet sets, bath towels, shower curtains, bath rugs and mats, pillows, and pillow cases).
Tennessee Sales Tax Holiday: Clothing and schools supplies, each costing $100 or less; and computers prices at $1,500 or less.
Virginia Sales Tax Holiday: Clothing costing less than $100; and school supplies costing less than $20.

August 16-22
Connecticut Sales Tax Holiday: Clothing and footwear costing less than $300.

August 21-23
Texas Sales Tax Holiday: Clothing and footwear priced under $100; backpacks under $100–meaning traditional backpacks/book bags. Messenger bags and hiker dude backpacks don’t qualify. Also, school supplies costing less than $100. (The school supply part is new in 2009.)
Vermont Sales Tax Holiday: Any purchase under $2,500. Note: Sales-tax holiday is August 22nd only!

Happy tax-free shopping!

Use Sites for Swapping Stuff or Bartering?

August 3, 2009

By Leah Ingram

Then let me interrupt our back-to-school blog postings to put out this request.

I need to interview real-life women (sorry, guys, but it’s a magazine for us gals) who use online sites to swap stuff–for themselves, for their kids, for back-to-school shopping, whatever–or who use online sites to barter for goods and services. This is for a Good Housekeeping story that’s due this week.

Does this sound like you? Do you or someone you know use any of these sites?

Switchplanet.com
PriorAttire.com
SwapBabyGoods.com
SwapStyle.com
TimeBanks.org
Neighborrow.com

I need to do phone interviews by Wednesday–yes, this Wednesday, August 5, 2009. These are the only sites I’ve been approved to cover and/or which I have not found anyone to interview about yet.

You have my permission to repost this anywhere, re-tweet it, whatever. Ask people to email me: leah dot ingram at comcast dot net.

Thanks so much.

5 Finds for Furnishing a Dorm Room

August 3, 2009

By Leah Ingram

Welcome to back-to-school week on Suddenly Frugal. Today, we’re tackling the topic of kids going back to college. I mean, if you’ve got a kid heading off to college in the next few weeks, then soon enough you will be facing one of the biggest challenges (besides paying tuition) that students face when they first arrive–how to furnish a dorm room without busting a budget. Here are 5 tips to do just that, courtesy of the experts at Bed Bath & Beyond:

Check it Out! Check with your school before you shop to learn about the specific rules and regulations of your on-campus housing. This will ensure you don’t spend your money on things your school won’t allow–like mini fridges or microwaves–or things they may provide.
Check it Off. Use a comprehensive checklist to figure out what you need to buy and what you can take from home. If the college you’ll be attending doesn’t have a checklist, check out the checklist on the Bed Bath & Beyond website.
Split it Up. Students should reach out to their roommates before they shop to decide who is bringing what so they avoid bringing (and buying) duplicates. They can split up the checklist online, discuss a color scheme and even email their future roommate their selections.
Cheat Sheet. Many college and university dorm rooms have twin extra long mattresses – make sure you know the appropriate size before selecting bedding to avoid return trips to the store.
Find it Near Home, Pick it up Near School! Bed Bath & Beyond stores offer a unique “Pack & Hold ” service that eliminates the hassle of packing the car or the cost of renting a moving van. Simply shop at a store near home and then pick the items up at the store near college.

Do you have other advice for furnishing a dorm room on the cheap?

August 1st Goes to the Dogs

August 1, 2009

By Leah Ingram

According to the North Shore Animal League, people who rescue dogs often don’t know their pet’s real birthday. We were lucky in that respect. When we picked up Buff, our cocker spaniel/golden retriever/beagle mix at the Small Dog Rescue in Princeton, NJ, some seven years ago, he came complete with his vet records. These records included Buff’s birthday–March 1, 1996. Needless to say, my daughters still make a big deal for Buff (curled up for a nap, below), with lots of treats and perhaps a new Nylabone, whenever March 1st rolls around.

For those who don’t know their pet’s actual birthday but want to celebrate nonetheless, the North Shore Animal League America has deemed the first day of the eighth month of 2009 (August 1–today!) as DOGust the 1st, a universal birthday for shelter and rescued dogs everywhere.

If you’re one of these pet owners looking for a universal day to celebrate your pet’s birthday, check this out: you can get DOGust the 1st online greeting cards featuring an original song, “Happy Birthday, Doggie Dear.” You can also order a creatively-themed doggie gift box from sponsor ARFdog that says “I love you” in a unique way, or coax a big kiss from your four-legged best friend with a birthday bouquet from www.1800flowers.com. (You can save 10% by ordering with Promotion Code NSAL with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Animal League.)

If you happen to live near the Animal League’s Port Washington, New York headquarters (that’s on Long Island), you may want to trot over to the DOGust the 1st family fun day today. There will be a Pet Health Fair, kids’ activities, adoptable animals and a special DOGust the 1st birthday cake under a country-fair tent. The Animal League, the world’s largest no-kill rescue and adoption organization, will be offering canine health and wellness information through demonstrations, “Ask the Experts” sessions, and special services at its own Pet Health Center. Among the experts who will be on hand will be celebrity dentist Dr. Jennifer Jablow and dog stylist Jorge Bendersky, from Animal Planet’s Groomer Has It.

Too bad Buff and I can’t make it to what sounds like it’s going to be a great day. Also keep in mind: there are thousands of animal-rescue groups around the country, which you can locate by visiting the Petfinder website. That’s how we found Buff. Please: if you’re in the market for a new dog, don’t visit a breeder and spend big bucks on your new buddy. Instead, save the money and give a rescued dog a loving home.