My day for bargains and otherwise neat finds! :-)

[TinaTx]

Did you know that Best Buy has a student- teacher edition of Microsoft Office for 149.00 bucks compared to the SAME thing that they sale under the Standard Edition for 339.00.

I could have fallen over today :shock: when I went to pick up Word because my computer crashed(long story). Anyway standing there talking to the guy, I said you don't have an educator's discount, do you?t. He said no, but we have this. He handed me box marked *Microsoft Student and Teacher Edition 2003*. He went on to say, *You have to qualify for one of these things listed on the back of box.* The second thing listed was *home schooled student*...Knock me over! I didn't know.........

Let me see HARD CHOICE here. 339.00 bucks versus 149.00 bucks :P :lol:

Both packages sell the identical software: Word,Excel, Powerpoint and managing Outlook....I didn't have to show a teacher id to pay for it, he said you need to register it of course on line when you start. Can't wait to!

Ok.....all you computer buffs, I know you probably knew this, but UNtechnical Tina here did not! :lol: So I wanted to be sure the rest of us knew :D

I also wanted to see if Best Buy had the Magic School Bus videos on dvd. Guess what they carry them too for like 11.00 bucks for each one. We will be viewing some of these for our earth science this next year. Our library carries a lot of the Nat'l Geo. education videos, (we viewed several last year) but the boys like Magic School bus too..

Ok.....next thing, I had read last year about an author named Robert Sabuda. He does some really intricate pop up books for older children like ages 7 and UP that is really considered paper art. Anyway, I remember seeing his books in the pop up book section of Barnes and Noble, but they are always enclosed in plastic wrap. Well Barnes and Noble had two copies, one of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz opened for hands on viewing....We just fell in love with them!.The original book by him was called Cookie Count, and he also did Movable Mother Goose........Hold your breath, the price is 25.00 bucks.....But WOWEE you should see the intricate details that he has.....Truly paper art. The book is 2 inches wide..With flaps on both sides of the pages opening as well as popping up in the middle. We got Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and it is BEAUTIFUL....ALL of us have just drooled over it.

It will be my next read aloud just for the excitement of moving all the little parts for my hands on and even my oldest visual guy loves it. I like it too! :lol:

Gotta take a look when your in there next time!!!! I'm counting my pennies to see when we can get the next one. :wink:

I figured I saves us a couple of bucks on the software, so what not *treat* us to something special. :P

Blesssings
TinaTx

[CrystalB9]

Thanks for sharing the computer info Tina. We just bought a new one this past spring. I want another for the kids so that is something to keep in mind. By the way, we bought our computer at Circut City and asked the sales guy the same thing. No discounts there ladies!

[Jackie]

My understanding is that this package is offered by Microsoft, NOT the individual stores. So a store may not have an "educator's discount", but they WILL carry the teacher/student edition. They may just chose not to tell you, because it IS chaper, unless you specifically ask for it. We got something similar. Since DH is a computer teacher in the public schools, he's REALLY up on this stuff. He doesn't hesitate to use his Teacher Discount at stores that excludes us as educators for homeschool stuff.

[TinaTx]

Well what really gets me is that when I ask the guy for help, the first one he gives me is the 339.00 one. I said Geeze, I wanted software, not take out a life insurance policy. :roll: HE DIDN"T bring up the cheaper verson, I had to ask (as I do EVERYWHERE NOW) if he had an educator's discount. THEN only then did he show me the student/teacher edition. The key being to ask first for the teacher's edition, get it, then see for yourself if it says homeschool qualifies. Otherwise, the guy would have made the judgment himself that I wouldn't have been able to get the teacher/student edition.

So I guess Crystal could probably ask at Circuit City for software that is teacher's edition since its by Microsoft and not the place of business. .uh?

Anyway, the guy says well homeschool, thats not really well legal is it? :twisted: OPE, WRONG person to say that to! :lol: So after I ministered to him :lol: he knew then, and I'm sure he was sorry he ask! :lol:

[CrystalB9]

I would have loved to seen and hear you explain to him just how legal it is Tina. :lol:
When we were in Circut City we did as about a teacher discount. I know not to say homeschool becasue most, sadly dont take it seriously.

[Brooke]

Tina....I like the way you put that.....hmmmm....ministered to him.....somehow I am not drawing the same mental picture I get of the angels and Jesus after His temptation....... :wink: .

Anyone thought about making themselves a teacher ID? I know that some local places give you an educator's discount if you have a card for your homeschool group.....I'm thinking how handy it would be to make an ID card, too. Here in IL, the state considers homeschools the same as private schools. I don't see where a place of business could make the distinction either. Any thoughts?

[CrystalB9]

Recently I was at our state homeschool convention - CHAP. There was a vendor there that was selling hs ID's. Along with the ID came a brochure of stores that he had set up discounts with. Some I already knew of, but some signed up just with him to be in the brochure and only honored that hs ID. It was about $40.00 for the card and list of stores. Good idea, but I buy mostly buy used and what stores I do by new I already have my card for.

[TinaTx]

Hey Brooke.....

Here in Texas, we do or can get real *professional* looking teacher ids and student ids from the THSC. Same way here as in IL, we are considered private schools. So its included in our membership package with the Texas Home School Coalition.

I'm not as bothered if I don't have a teacher id as I am about the kids not having a student id. I had never thought about it until this past year, when several homeschool families, who all teenage kids, all driving age had problems. Of course at that age, they are keeping the roads hot with activities.

Well, it has been a problem getting the *student discount* on everything from food to admission into special events. So from that point, it has been a life saver for those families since the kids can flip out their wallet and show *student id*.

I remember you saying that your trying to start a group, and I know the Texas Home School Coalition would probably be very helpful in answering questions where you can get teacher/student ids, professional looking and for probably not much $$$$$. Their website is www.thsc.org. Carrollyn, along with the Texas president and his wife, care about ALL homeschoolers and are extremely helpful.

[Anonymous]

I talked with Carl, and he says that the Teacher/Student program is offered BY MICROSOFT itself and NOT considered a "teacher discount". BUT he says it does NOT have everything listed in the "full" program. I think he says specifically that Microsoft Publisher is missing. The "missing" parts are the ones that would be used more for office and not so much in a home/school.

[Jackie]

The last "guest" was me! It says "guest" because I was on frm a different computer, which I guess doesn't have the "correct" cookie or something.....

[Brooke]

Thanks Too-cool Tina! :lol:

I was thinking about a teacher's ID for museums and such, not just for stores. Student ID's hadn't crossed my mind yet. My kids are 5 and 8 so most would assume they are students somewhere.

I'll check out the Texas website, too, one of these years :roll: . Seems I am getting a bit more busy as August rapidly approaches.

[moondancer7825]

I've heard of alot of hs families making a hs student and teacher id card using Word, a recent photo, and photo lamination kits that you can buy in the check out line at walmart for like a buck. Not all but alot places do honor them. I was thinking of doing it this year.

Tina you mentioned cheap Magic school bus dvds. I found on scholastic.com a ton of magic school bus books for little to nothing. By the time it was all said and done we bought 40 msb books for a buck a piece. THis was closer to christmas though. They were selling them in bundles. I had to buy two different bundles to get all the books that I wanted and amazingly only got two duplicate books.

[TinaTx]

Moondancer

Yes...we have collected most all of the books. I used them for our science this past year, and will use them again this year. :D

It was the videos and dvds that I had a hard time finding for a decent price. :wink: Then I rethought this past year because of instead of getting videos, more space is needed to store them, I think I prefer dvds. Especially since our living room tv uses dvds only, we all wanted to be able to watch them, instead of everyone having to move to a bedroom.

I saw the whole set of videos on the site www.reallygoodstuff.com but I don't want the ones that have haunted houses,ghost sounds,etc..I wanted to pick and choose..I still think you can pick and choose, but here again they are videos and not dvds...

So if you come across dvds from a cheaper source, clue me in! :wink:

Thanks!
TinaTx