Heading back to school can cost a fortune, especially if you have more than one child. Most families are already stretched to their financial limit after Christmas and the back to school shopping can really break the bank. With your purse strings in mind, we look at the best back to school savings and ways to save money where you can.
Contents
Here are 5 ways to save money when heading back to school
Back to School savings step 1- Sort what can be used from last year
You would be surprised what can be saved from last year. Here is a list of things that can be reusable:
Uniforms- Check the hems of any skirts or dresses and see if they can be let down. Most of them have a very generous hem, for this reason, so don't get rid of them too quickly. If they are definitely too small can they be put away for another child? Even if it's a few years away, hang on to the uniforms because you'll need them eventually!
Shoes- Check if their shoes still fit. Chances are (especially with teenagers) you might get another year out of them. Even if you are only going to get another term, keep them and defer the cost of one of the most expensive back to school items. If they are still in good condition can you pass them on to a younger child?
Stationery- Before you go out and buy everything again, make sure you do a stationery inventory of all the pencil cases. Save all working markers, highlighters and pens, sharpen blunt pencils and set aside rulers, rubbers and sharpeners that can still be used. Chances are there are a lot of things still usable from last year. Also, check with the school for their stationery list so you don't buy unnecessary products.
Textbooks- If you have high school aged kids then textbooks prices are a killer! Double check if any books are for two years rather than one. Many are for the stage rather than the year, so year 7 and 8, year 9 and 10, and year 11 and 12. Don't accidentallydouble purchase (I've been guilty of this!)
Back to School savings step 2- shop secondhand
There is nothing wrong with secondhand so make sure you buy used when you can.
Uniform stores- They will always have a secondhand section so make sure you ask before you buy full price. It's usually a saving of at least 50%.
Facebook groups- There will most likely be a local uniform buy/swap/sell facebook group for your area where people post their secondhand uniforms for sale. Make sure you look at these too.
Friends- Ff you have friends whose children attend the same school a few grades up ask them if they are selling any uniforms or textbooks before you go shopping.
Sustainable School Shop- The SustainableSchool Shop is amazing. It's where I buy all my teenagers' textbooks. For a $20 a year membership you can list books and shop for them. They also have a uniform sectionthat's worth checking out. www.sustainableschoolshop.com.au
Back to School savings step 3- shop the sales
Ways to save money include shopping around for the best deals when you are back to school shopping. Many shoe shops offer deals such as 'buy one, get 50% off the second' when it comes to school shoes. for those of you shopping for more than one child these are well worth seeking out. If you only have one child, buddy up with a friend and split the savings- you'll both get shoes for 75% of the original price.
If you need labels for school most label companies will have a back to school bundle so make sure you shop smart and do your research to see who is offering the best deals. While it's not super cheap, I've shopped at Stamptastic for a reusable stamp so I don't have to buy multiple labels. If you have several children you can just get your last name and phone number on the stamp so you can use it for all the kids. This would save a massive amount. An added bonus is that you won't need to sew any name tags so worth every cent!www.stamptastic.co.uk
Back to School savings step 4- know when to spend and when to save
Some school stuff is worth spending decent money on, and some can be substituted for a cheaper item.
Things to spend on:
Shoes- school shoes are pricey for a reason. Your child will spend more time in these than any other shoe and poor quality shoes can cause big foot problems later on. So, while those $20 Aldi or Kmart shoes might look tempting, you need to pay the money for the quality and the professional fitting. Sorry! (in saying that, if you get to term 4 and your child has grown out of their shoes, buy the cheap pair to finish the year out and start fresh in January the following year).
Equipment/stationery- there are some things you can't buy the home brand version on- and one of these is glue! it's UHU or nothing! The rest doesn't even stick and your teacher will not be in a forgiving mood! Also get decent colouring pencils and pens.
Things to save on:
Uniform- If you can find parts of your uniform at places like Big W, Target or Kmart then buy them from there instead of your uniform shop. Often you can find the coloured polo shirts, netball skirts, grey shorts, white or blue school shirts etc at these shops in January and you'll save a fortune. Just check first if you school one has a logo or not. www.next.com.aualso has a good school's basics range from a great price.
Stationery and books- If you need writing books, paper, pens etc then don't go spending a fortune. Kmart has a fantastic (and super cheap) range of back to school items. After all, a ruler is a ruler!
Back to School savings step 5- buy what they need, not what they want!
Kids can get carried away when you take them back to school shopping. They will see every shiny, fluffy, sparkly thing you walk past and they will "neeeeeddd" it. This especially happens when they are a little older and there is a trend. These little things all add up so come up with a compromise with them. They can't do their whole shopping at Smiggle but they can choose their pencil case or some markers. Find out the one thing they really want and agree to it, but the rest is budget products only. They may not be pretty but they do the job!
Hopefully, these tips have given you some ways to save money this January! Make sure you let me know of any great sales or bargains you encounter too!
