Primary I have a prepy , yr 2 & yr 4.
I was gobsmacked when we moved here as the school in NSW the boys attended supplied exercise books etc. I think we paid about $40 for the text books stuff & that was it.
So then start of this year when i got the list I was floored!

from the preferred supplier (school gets a commission)
Prep is $94 .. Not including the school book bag or chair bag (which I can make)
yr 2 is $175 ... again not including some items that we need to supply for the classroom like tissues etc.
yr 4 is $187 .. ^^ same again.

Then we have the school fee which I think was about $60 each. Then there is a heap of voluntary contributions which add up to about $300 per family I think. I don't pay those. There are things they cover that I don't utilise or don't agree with. Oh there is also the P&C voluntary payment also which again I didn't pay this year because I felt we contribute enough with the fund raising events.

Oh & as for adding each shopping.. Thats a good Idea I will have to keep an eye out & keep a list of things. The lists are rather specific.. yr 2 rule 64 page not a4 x 10. scrapbook 96 page x 8 etcetc. I don't stick to the exact brand they have listed but the books are not just plain exercise books, they all have different lines ruled depending on the grade/purpose of the book.