Sunday, February 7, 2010

The apparently ugly

The good........50% off fabric today at Lincraft. I popped in to get a zipper but I cannot resist linens at the ridiculous price of $6.49 / metre.

The bad.......
The $209.00 calculator that master 15 HAS to have for school...Why is it we have to buy new and improved and increasing expensive calculators every year - has someone invented a whole new slew of mathematical theorems that the older calculators can't deal with ?

The Apparently UglyMy suggestion for guaranteed loss prevention.

something along the lines of "I am going to staple gun this bloody thing to your forehead"

but said with love of course......

51 comments:

  1. The bad is not only bad but SOOO expensive!Do hope for his sake that your boy does not lose the calculator/have it stolen; reckon I'd be able to hear your reaction from my place!

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  2. We tried to recycle my daughter's expensive calculator (now never used) to my son this year, but... a different $200 model was required.

    Stapler is not a bad idea, would it work for lunch boxes too?

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  3. I don't understand why they don't just start with the $209.00 calculator?

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  4. I am so very glad those days are behind me! The calculators are a pain really. Love the fabrics, very nice indeed, Did you get the zipper?

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  5. $209 for a calculator? Call me a cynic (and a cheat?) but for that price you could get a phone with internet connection, and just google the answers.

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  6. Jeez. $209 for a calculator? Does it make tea an do your ironing too?

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  7. Maybe you would have felt better if you had bought enough linen to make the savings to offset the cost of the calculator. Makes perfect financial sense...to me anyhow.

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  8. Ooh! I too went to Lincraft yesterday but not because I knew they had a sale on, I dropped in on my way home from a market to pick up a few buttons for a doona cover.....and.....yep. Walked out with mmm....about 20 metres of fabric! How do you pass up 50% off?

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  9. Stop!! You're not thinking clearly , staple it to his hand(with love of course ) at least that way he can use it and get your moneys worth !

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  10. Geeze, $209 I hope he wants to be a lawyer or something later in life.
    So he can pay it back.

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  11. I do not understand this cost either and have had to do it twice now! But then I don't understand why they have to have a $37 dictionary that is brand named. Surely a dictionary is a dictionary! Michelle

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  12. Ouch!

    And that's for the $209 calculator not the staple gun!

    Ouch, ouch, ouch!

    Locket x

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  13. Ours was $185 last year, and now Ayden has to have another simpler one for physics. Nice lincraft bargains, I bought pellon half price today and some stretchy fabric..

    I have put elastic straps on two boys memory sticks this year ..

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  14. $209? Are you serious? That's outrageous!!

    I got some goodies at the lincraft sale too!

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  15. I wouldn't have a problem spending $209 on fabric but I would really have to think about the calculator for $209.

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  16. and to think I was whining about a newer version of last years calculator for $29 that apparently does not do anything different to the old model.
    Nice score on the linen.
    x PJ x

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  17. Wow, your Lincraft has linen...........lucky you!!! and what a great price. I can't believe the cost of that calculator......the most we had to pay for scientific calculators was about $50, then found the same one in Kmart for about $20.........guess where we bought the next one LOL

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  18. Yummy fabric - love the natural one!

    Sheesh, $200 bucks - that's outrageous! You could almost buy a laptop for that price, or lots of yummy fabric, which of course would be well worth the $$$ spent.

    I've threatened to staple my kids hats to their heads on numerous occasions - why do they keep losing them??? They seem to be getting better, touch wood! :-)

    Have you heard from Ernst, or is he still honeymooning with Pebble?

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  19. Yep, yep, yep ..... I hear ya girl!!! I went thru the same with my boys at high school - only for it to be hardly ever used !!!!
    Cheers

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  20. Same with calculators here in the US. Good thing is older daughter handed down her calculator to younger brother. :o) Although the calculators are seemingly cheap compared to the requisite computers and software necessary for certain college studies. Gorgeous linens.

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  21. I agree with Tas .... just buy enough sale fabric to make the $209 in savings and you will feel so much better ;-0 I always think in terms of fabric when an unexpected bill comes. "do you know how much fabric this would buy?" My Hubby is so used to that reaction :-)

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  22. Wow $209 is quite a lot for a school supply. What happens if someone can't afford it for class? I know my children will never own one.

    Great deal on the fabric! Have fun working with it!

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  23. I feel your pain. My son is in school for mechanical engineering and we have to deal with the same expensive things: text books, calculators etc. How often does math change? Each teacher has their own requirements and they don't talk to each other! Funny post, Steph

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  24. I'm betting the old one will be just fine. Honestly that's rediculous! I'd refuse to get it. Don't they teach them how to add in their head anymore?

    Most of those kids never need any of that complicated stuff in their lifetime anyway. I've never used a scientific calc since leaving school and I've been just fine.

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  25. $209?? Wowsers! I think I may need to get a job just to fund my children's calculator needs!! Yay for cheapies at spotlight!! LOL at the staple gunning!!

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  26. I'm quite a fan of your staple gun loss prevention. My mum used to threaten us with similar, so I'm happy the tradition is still going strong.
    Have a great week!

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  27. The linens look lovely, knew I should have popped into Lincraft over the weekend. My son had to have the $220 calculator and the disc that comes with it doesnt work on our computer! How ridiculous is that. At least I know next year he wont be needing one!

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  28. I still have my brother's old high school calculator, it is totally fine, and I used it to do uni maths and physics, with no problems.

    So I am sure the answer to your question is no.

    I suppose it just makes it easier on the teachers if all the kids have the same buttons in the same place?

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  29. For his sacke I hope he doesnt loose it - LOL - Great plan though, will have to remember that in a few years:)

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  30. fingers crossed he doesn't lose it! gosh I think my calculator in high school was $30 or something and way back then that was expensive! yikes $200! I better start saving now!!!!!!

    I got some denim on sale at lincraft! nice when you can fill a bag and just hand over $20!!!!

    Corrie:)

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  31. I thought $65 for a "scientific" calculator in 1999 was too steep! Over $200? You have got to be kidding me!

    DD and SIL are looking forward to the birth of their first child (due 26 Feb) - little do they know! Two may be able to live as cheaply as one but three needs twice as much!

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  32. what would make you madder about the calculator is the amount of them that are found in the lockers by the teachers when the school year is over. Owners never found!

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  33. Hey we could get Sportsbet involved and run a book on how long the calculator stays in his possession LOL
    I reckon with the staple gun threat at least one term LOL

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  34. Ah the trusty staple gun!! :D

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  35. Great Lincraft sale! Not so great those calculators. We have two of those at my house ... grrrrr

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  36. $209 - dear lord - as a scientist I've never used anything other than the bog standard $15 ones from K-mart or Office Works - for $209 it would want to actually do the experiment for me as well.

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  37. We needed one of those b*$#@+ calculators too. It was cheaper at $209 at Officeworks than the $229 stated on the booklist!
    Ah Lincraft...I vaguely remember you!

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  38. Thank goodness I'm past the teachers' needs for their students. I would be so angry that I would tell the teacher that if my child need a calculator that expensive, they can purchase it for the child because I cannot afford it!

    Love your bargain fabric. I wish I could find linen cheap.
    Yvette

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  39. Hi Jodie,
    i just love the way you write...schools are annoying and its not just calculators that change all the time either...and i had a son that was quite good at the "well I put it down and...
    Mind you I suyspect my Mother wanted to staple a few things to me too LOL

    Hugs, Sharon

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  40. I have had the same chat with my girls...vbg. What ever happened to adding up on your fingers? So much easier and you had the equipment right there....for harder sums just take off your shoes...roflmol.

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  41. Blimey! what kind of maths are they teaching at high school these days? And i bet once they leave school the majority of them will never use it again. I know i've not used a scientific calculator since i left school and even then we rarely used them.
    glad my kids aren't at school.

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  42. OOOH! I bought a staple gun on the weekend to use for upholstery but I never realised it had other applications such as this. Is there no end to the wonderfulness of this gadget!

    Thanks for the tip Jodie.

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  43. Sounds like lots of new calculators all round. DS didn't want to give his up for DD so she needed a new one ($209 model) but then of course the book for the maths subject could not be recycled either because the type of calculator had changed and the new book goes with the new calculator. So there is yet another useless textbook languishing on the bookcase cause no-one else will want it!

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  44. Being the skeptic that I am, I would be wondering if the teachers are getting kickbacks from the company that makes those overpriced calculators. I'd be pretty livid about that. We have an old TI calculator of DH's that does anything that anyone could ever ask of it, I know it would work on any problem given. I would just flat refuse to buy it. They want us to be so green- how does a new calculator every year fit that bill?

    Great bargains at the fabric store, though, that's nice!

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  45. Hell yeah, i'd stape a super expensive ANYTHING to my child's head too. Schools are black holes for anything expensive. Or make him a nice necklace pocket pouch, sure he won't get bullied, geeks are left alone aren't they?? I do love a good scientific calculator though. Love Posie

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  46. BEWARE the locker thief. My sons was stolen from his locker. Mind you he should have had a lock on said locker but he was going to a nice catholic school. Now what is that commandment "thou shall not steal" didn't apply.

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  47. Just going through same stuff about calculators with my son! Gave him my scientific calc only for him to say No! I NEED a "GRAPHICS" calculator! My older daughter had one but had to look for it. Took two weeks to find it and now after reading your post I am hoping he will be able to use it Monday! Our school sells them for $180.00. I wonder how much profit they make?

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  48. I have that calculator too. Will be selling it after I get into Uni because apparently, you only need a graphics calculator in high school. Waste of money, in my opinion. :D

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Hellloooooo !!!!