For many school children Summer is ending this week. Malls were packed this weekend with the last minutes back to school. Along with going back to school it means there will be homework. The quality of homework will depend on the environment the homework is done.

Doing homework or any kind of studying on ones bed or in front of the television on the coffee table will only lead to low quality homework. I look the quality of study are will promote the same quality of homework.

If we want our students to do the best, we need to have the best possible area.

I found some great recommendation for the ideal study area at About.com. What impressed me the most it does not take a lot of money to create the ideal study area.

It is just a couple weeks before Boise School District will start their 2011 – 2012 school year. Ms T finished her shopping for her back to school supplies and clothes.

Last year and this year we has Ms T do her own back to school shopping. We gave her a budget and guided her through the process. We see this as a good training to help Ms T to learn some basic lessons in financial planning and shopping.

The first step in keeping with any budget is to Separate wants from needs. It is nice to get the sharpest, and stylish clothes. When you shop with style in mind it is going to cost a lot than if you are shopping for just functionality.

When I was young, and was ready for my first car, I want a 1956 Chevy four door. In reality all I needed was some transportation to and from work. I needed to pay rent, utilities, and other bills. The only way I could afford that 1956 Chevy was if I didn’t pay rent and some of the other bills for a couple of months.

Sneaker Net is where you save information on a flash drive. Then you pull the flash drive out of your computer. Walk in your sneakers over to a second computer, then put the flash drive in the second computer. That my friends is Sneaker Net.

In comparisons to other methods Sneaker Net is a fast and simple way to transfer any data from one computer to the next. Then only real limitation is that you have to have physical access to both computers.

Compared to what we have had in the past to transport information manually from on computer to a second, the flash drives is better than sliced bread. Like sliced bread they do go bad after a while. I have two flash drives setting on my desk that my none of my computer will not read the information on them.

A flash drive is great for our taking a Power Point Presentation with me when I go to speak. I taken any printing I want done to the printer on a flash drive. I have one flash drive with troubleshooting programs for when I am working on a computer.

Late July and early August is the best time to go around to yard sales. This is the time to I find the best deals. People are cleaning out their garages for a little extra money. Parents are cleaning out their children’s closet getting ready to by new sets of school cloths.

Last week we stopped by this one yard sale where we were met by a little boy and girl offering to sell us bottled water or soda for $1 each. Their sales pitch was the money they earned would help pay for their back to school clothes. I smiled and thought it was great that such young children were learning the value of a dollar.

Last year was the first year we gave our daughter a budget for her to buy her school supplies and clothes. She amazed us how much she came within budget. So we decided it would be a good practice to do the same this year.

It seems school was just letting out for the summer months. Now we are getting attacked by ads for school supplies for your children. Last night was our night to go out an buy all those things to get our daughter ready for the new school year.

We could have look at each of all those sells ads, then went from store to store for the best deal for pencils, erasers, note books, crayons, folders, and pens. Then we would of have spent more time and money driving from one store to the next. Instead we picked the closest discount department store to buy what we needed to get.

$43.16 was to total for school supplies. Then there was school clothes. I am not going there, because every child boy or girl has their own taste and personal budget.

I remember my dad taking us to buy school clothes. It was three pair of stove pipe leg jeans, and five shirts. Last year school clothes were what we were to wear after school and on the weekend.  That was a different time and place.

Take a look at what we actually spent on school supplies, just log-in as a member. If not a member, you can be one for just $2 per month. Or you can donate $100 and I will personally send you a log-in and password for a lifetime membership.

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The list below is what we actually bought. The list of school supplies that was from the school and what we bought was not the same because there were several items that we could carry over from the previous year.

Things like stapler, pencil sharpen, and calculator are items that general do not wear out. It scotch tape, and 3 ring notebook are items that we already have on hand. So we saved some money that way.

1. Wizards of Wavery Place folder, Tinkerbell folder, Jonas Brother folder, and a pink folder for 50 cents each.
2. Pink Messenger Bag - $13.49
3. Wizards of Wavery Place folder, Tinkerbell folder, Jonas Brother folder, and a pink folder for 50 cents each.
4. 150 count,  3 hole college ruled filler paper – 99 cents
5. See through pink plastic box – 99 cents
6. Crayola Crayons – $2.79
7. Fine Marker 99 cents
8. Elmer’s glue 29 cents
9. Scissor – Sharp – 99 cents
10. Headz cpa erasers $1.00
11. Facial tissue – 79 cents
12. Flex Ruler $1.49
13. Red fine pens – $1.50
14. #2 pencils – 79 cents
15. 12 pack of color pencils – 99 cents