The Back-to-School season is soon upon us, and shortly following is Christmas! It seems that as soon as the summer holidays begin, in no time the kids go back to school. Therefore, it’s important to get all the new year essentials quickly. That way you can keep the cost of new books, clothes and P.E equipment down to a minimum rather than relying on payday loans.

One of the best and most effective ways to do this is to write down everything that your children need. You can then see what you already have, find out if friends or family have anything you need and to shop around for the things you need to buy.

Stationery

Children have so many different classes and therefore need lots of different things to get through the year. Stationery adds up to a lot because there is so much that your children need. Pens, pencils, pencil cases, plain paper, lined paper, calculators, rulers, colouring pens and much more.

One way to save money here is to simply ask a friend or family member if any of their children have any of these things that they do not use anymore or no longer need. Whilst your children may not have everything brand new, they will have everything they need. This frees up money that can be saved, spent on other things for the household or towards Christmas.

You can also look through eBay and Amazon to get your stationery goods in bulk. There are always great deals. You just need to look in the right places.

P.E Kit

Another more expensive cost is purchasing a new P.E kit. As children grow, it means that they outgrow their clothes. Depending on the sports that they play at their school, P.E kits can set you back hundreds of pounds. To save money here you will need to spend a little more time searching for the best deals.

Take a look around your local sports shops for what they have. While you are in a shop pull out your smartphone and shop around. Have a look on eBay, Amazon and Gumtree and see if they have any of those items cheaper. The chances are that somewhere online will. Saving on football boots, running shoes, gum shields and any other sports equipment could save you money depending on what you need. It may seem small but every one of those pennies count.

Shoes

Children grow out of shoes just as quickly as they grow out of clothes. Luckily, nowadays there are many places you can find affordable shoes online and on the high street. Ebay and Amazon are always good places to start.

Another good place to look is the many voucher codes, websites and apps that have thousands of offers available. It may seem a little tedious but it will only take a few minutes to browse through. And you never know when you might find a great deal! Also of course going to your local high street and seeing what sales they have on is always a good bet.

School Uniform

Your children’s school uniform is likely to be the biggest cost. But you won’t have to rely on short term loans to afford new shirts and blazers – there are some more affordable options. Many schools have a pre-loved uniform service, where you can purchase clothes at a hefty discount.

You can also check Facebook to see if there are any pages dedicated to parents selling or purchasing children’s uniforms. Gumtree is also a great place to look for uniforms for your children. This site is also a great way to save money on clothes that are just as good as new.

If you’re unable to find anyone selling old uniform, you may be able to find dupes in stores such as M&S, Asda’s George and Sainsbury’s TU. Many uniforms have the school logo on the jumpers but you may be able to purchase shirts and trousers in a similar style and colour in these stores and save a pretty penny.

Other Things to Consider

This isn’t a complete list of everything you can do but hopefully, it has given you some ideas of how you can save on the essentials that your children need before they go back to school.

There is one last option that many could be entitled to. If you live in England, your local council may be able to provide help with the cost of school uniforms, including P.E kits. If you live in Northern Ireland, there are school uniform grants that you may be entitled to.

Get in touch if and let us know if you made any savings and if you do please pass this on to other friends and family.