It’s DIY FRI. again, where every week I try to post something you can do yourself rather than buy, which is a money saver, and can be VERY REWARDING. Some of these posts are crafts, sewing projects, homemade cleaners, homemade health aids, tutorials, and the like.
Can you believe how much school pictures cost? There is definitely an art to taking good pictures, and I am learning, but there are definitely times to call in the professionals. There is a place to pay good money for good pictures, but when you just want to have a picture to mark the start of each school year, here are a few alternatives to the standard school picture.
The year my Ellie-girl (age 7) started preschool, I was astonished at how expensive the school pictures were. We spent $7 on one 5×7 class picture. I couldn’t bring myself to pay to get a package, which I don’t remember the prices of, but if one picture was $7, I am sure the other prices were VERY EXPENSIVE. So I decided to get her preschool pictures done at the Walmart Portrait Studio, Picture Me Portraits. The quality was just fine, and for $10 or less you can get one package with usually an 8×10, 2 5x7s and several wallet sizes every three months. Now, they will try to sell you, trying to get you to buy a $200 package, but if all you want are school pictures, stick to your guns, and repeatedly tell them, “we are just getting the package deal”, “we are just getting the package deal”. Practice now. If you can’t resist temptation, DON’T GO THERE!!
Since we now have two school-aged children and you can only get one package every three months at Picture Me Portraits, we went to Olan Mills for Abbie’s pictures, which is in our local Kmart. They are a little more expensive (it cost me about $16 last week), but it’s still way cheaper than the packages you get through the schools.
Another alternative is to hire someone taking a photography course, or an independent friend to freeze your child in time. You can get some really good pictures that way. These days it seems as if many people are into photography; at least, I seem to have a lot of people I could ask to hire to take some great pictures. Ask your friends for referrals, too.
My last idea is for you to take the pictures yourself. I have not done this because I do like the convenience of going back to the portrait studio and picking up my already developed pictures, but it really can be a very economical way. Now with free photo editing websites like picmonkey.com and ipiccy.com, you can make not-so-great pictures turn into stunners! They are really easy to use and figure out.
Do you have any other ideas on how to save on school pictures?
Do you need to cut your daughter’s hair for school? This is a quick easy way to do it for free!
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Sonja
We don’t buy them every year and I like to alternate between the real school pictures and the sports pictures. I take a lot of my own too.
Great ideas. Thanks so much for the timely reminder!
Man, i can relate. School picture are such a tradition that I can’t bring myself not to buy them. But you’re right. We buy like three sheets: a sheet of wallets ( for family), the class picture ( for posterity) and one 8x 10 to frame.
I’m visiting from Frugal Friday. We do buy the school pictures but one thing I’ve learned (the hard way) is that you always need fewer pictures than you think! I have so many leftover pictures sitting around because I guessed wrong about how many we would truly need. Now, I always buy the smallest package available. I do this with sports pictures as well.
You are right! As you see, I have lots of left over pictures from the past three years! If you buy the pictures through the schools, buy a small package!