Education
Save on back to school costs
There’s no denying this time of year can be expensive. No sooner have you wished everyone a Merry Christmas and done ALL the fun summer holiday stuff, then the back-to-school costs arrive like an unwelcome visitor. Have the kids grown? Are last year’s school shoes worn through? Do you really have to buy everything on the book list? Fear not, there ARE ways to save on those back to school costs. SCHOOL UNIFORMS Kids grow, there’s no denying that, and if they’ve already outgrown the uniform you bought two-sizes-too-big last year - and you’ve let down hems as far as they will go – then they definitely need replacing. • Buy the essentials – If you want to buy new but the budget won’t run to a uniform for each day of the week, buy a couple of full sets and commit to doing the washing more often. • Spread the costs – Put off buying warmer clothes until the seasons start to change. • Second-hand uniforms – Most school uniform shops have very serviceable second-hand uniforms for sale at much reduced prices. • Talk to other parents – Get to know parents with older kids at your school and ask them if they have any second-hand items they can hand on to you. • Check social media – There might already be a Facebook group of parents from your school with uniforms to sell or swap, or try asking in your local parenting groups. • Labelling is essential – Putting your child’s name on every single uniform item is important as your child’s uniform will hopefully be returned to you if they lose it. Make the label as large and obvious as possible so if it accidentally gets taken home by another child, the parent will quickly see it’s not theirs. • Is generic an option? – If your child’s school has plain socks in their uniform, you might find cheaper alternatives to the uniform shop’s brand in the high street. • Offset the cost – If your own outgrown uniforms are still in good condition you can sell them to offset the cost of replacements.
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SCHOOL SHOES School shoes are big business and retailers will vie for your custom. Many will offer discounts or “buy one pair, get one half price” specials. If you’re buying for multiple children this is great. If you’re buying for one, team up with a friend to share the discount, or buy the same shoe in a bigger size for when your child’s feet inevitably grow.
STATIONERY AND SUPPLIES The booklist can be a big part of your back-to-school costs, especially as some now include electronic devices. Here are some ways to save: • Check what you already have – Search through the desks and cupboards in your home and check what your child brought home at the end of the last school year. Items like scissors, rulers and pencil cases appear on the lists every year but they don’t always need replacing. It’s quick and easy to ‘select all’ items on the booklist, but investing the time to see what you don’t need can save you heaps.
Your Local Families Magazine December 2019 / January 2020 www.familiesmagazine.com.au