Back to school can be an expensive time of year especially since it follows the summer holidays and 6 weeks of entertaining the family. A study has found that parents can spend on average £106 per child to kit them out for the new school year. So here are some last minute ideas of how to reduce the cost of this time of year and in turn hopefully reduce the stress.
VouchersUnless you have to go to a specific outlet to obtain your child’s uniform there is a huge number of retailers that sell school uniforms. Due to the recession many of these retailers now offer a huge array of discounts on products and savvy consumers are making the most of these offers to reduce their costs. Remember to look online to see if there are any discount codes and vouchers available to take with you when buying the uniforms for the approaching school year. The vouchers do not just apply to the uniform but also for the stationary, computers and books that your child may need.
Shop Around
This time of year the high streets will be packed with parents trying to kit out their children for the approaching school term. Avoid the crowds and look online; many stores offer online shopping that will deliver to your door. This also allows you to compare the prices from many retailers all in one go without having to traipse from store to store. This will also reduce the stress of having to entertain the kids whilst queuing for the tills. Most websites also offer size guides allowing you to ensure that you are selecting the right sizes.
Make it yourself
Again, unless you have to go to a specialist outlet for your school supplies making certain aspects of the uniform yourself may be an option if you have the time and ability. The Internet is filled with sewing patterns that can be used for school skirts. Simply download this and obtain the fabric from a haberdashery. This way the skirt is unique and will fit your child perfectly as you have taken their exact measurements. If you’re feeling more adventurous you could try making the school trousers.
You could also make their pencil cases; get the children involved by getting them to pick out the fabric that they wish to use. As the size of the fabric needed will be small you may be able to get an off cut of fabric to use. You can further personalise the pencil case by adding badges, novelty buttons, ribbons or sequins that your child has picked out.
Swap shop Chances are that as a child is growing they are going to outgrow their uniforms fairly quickly meaning that the cost of re-buying uniforms can continue to add-up. In addition to this it means that you are left with barely worn high quality garments that are of no use to you. However, these may be of use to other parents, therefore setting up a swapping scheme with the other parents at the school may be beneficial to avoid wasting this clothing. This is not just limited to clothing; revision guides, Yorke Notes and text books can also be exchanged as it is unlikely that the syllabus or new addition of the text book will change year on year.
A Back to School article by Rhian Gillam of Moneysupermarket.com
