SPEAKER_01 0:00

I thought Christmas shopping was the worst, like the hardest for mommies and daddies to to get through. No, the number one most financially stressful event of the year they say is back to school shopping.

SPEAKER_00 0:11

I would believe that because I remember, okay, now it's interesting. In Elmira, the past years, we've had grants cover most of the back to school stuff, which has been great. Awesome. Still gotta buy backpacks, still gotta buy things like that. But I don't have to now I remember when Megan was in school, some of the extraordinarily abst abstract requests, like we would like the and it was so specific on the crayons. It's like one, where did you ever see those? I mean, I guess now we have Amazon, so it can free it. You might be able to find it a little bit easier. Yeah, but I just want to buy those Dollar Tree Crayons. I know. This was before Amazon, what is was what it I mean, Megan's 25. Do the math. Amazon hasn't been what it's been for the past 25 years. I mean, they were still selling books back then, you know, and that's it. So I I really do look at it and I think, you know, yes, I can understand because if you're trying to stick close to the list, really, really, really close, finding some of it and not sold out, that's the other thing. Maybe they actually had the section of ultra watercolor neon Crayola crayons because that's what you needed. That's what you needed, and there's the section totally empty at Walmart.

SPEAKER_01 1:23

My biggest thing when I was in school was the Texas Instrument Graphing Calculator. First of all, never have I ever used a graphing calculator after school.

SPEAKER_00 1:34

Is that the real expensive one? Yes. Oh, like the hundred and some dollars.

SPEAKER_01 1:37

Yes, and that's and that was that was 20 years ago. Yeah. So I can understand why it's the heaviest financial event for you moms and dads.

SPEAKER_00 1:46

College. You got laptops, you got uh little area fridges, you know, the little uh dorm fridges and stuff like that. I mean all these, oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 1:54

Where you hope to get those on Facebook Marketplace. I remember we bought mine from Sam's Club, I think, 20 years ago or whatever, 20 some years ago. And when we were buying it, it was over a hundred bucks. I don't know what they cost now, but people were not.

SPEAKER_00 2:05

They're actually on sale at Lowe's. I'm not even joking right now, if you need one. Not you. I'm talking someone going to college. Honestly. Well, I mean, I don't know. Do you need one for your front porch? I'm not gonna judge you.

SPEAKER_01 2:14

No, I was thinking for the studio, so I think so people can stop stealing my drinks.

SPEAKER_00 2:18

Yep, that would be uh they're on sale right now.

SPEAKER_01 2:21

Facebook Marketplace wasn't even a thing back then. No. But here's what parents are doing to be able to afford back to school shopping. Gambling is one. It's true. Think about how many times you get on DraftKings.

SPEAKER_00 2:33

That's true.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

Uh pawning their belongings.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Oh, that's sad.

SPEAKER_01 2:37

Sad, but not really. Well, I mean, yes, sad, but I mean, how much is this little twerp gonna suck out of me? I just told you my Texas instruments. You we just talked about laptops.

SPEAKER_00 2:47

Another 20 years of this before they get out.

SPEAKER_01 2:48

Wait, here's another one, obviously. Here's another one. Some parents are taking out loans back to school.

SPEAKER_00 2:55

I believe I think just in general, yeah. I think that might be more the college level. I think, you know, getting your Crayola crayons and your paper and stuff like that, not the worst. But I'm telling you, and Heather would would back me up on this having two kids in college now, one that just wrapped up not long ago, you've got all the dorm room supplies. They're essentially living on their own.

SPEAKER_01 3:17

Didn't you think about this while you were making two babies too close in an age? What were you thinking? Yeah.