Five ways to save money on Back to School

The summer holidays are flying past, and before you know it, it will be Back to School all over again. No matter how carefully you plan, there always seems to be so much to do at the last minute. Which also means so much money to find to pay for everything. And if you have already had an expensive summer it feels as if you need a personal loan just to cope with it all.

But there are ways that you can save money and cut down the cost of Back to School. Here are five tips that may help:

Buy non-branded school uniform

The most expensive items of school uniform are branded items ie those with the school logo on them, such as blazers. These often have to come from specific shops and cost more than they would in high street shops or supermarkets.

However, under recent government guidelines, schools now need to limit the number of branded items required for uniform. So the first thing to do is to check your child’s school uniform policy to see if there are any such items that have to be bought from specific retailers. If so, it may be possible to buy these second hand – see below. 

But all other items can come from any retailer of your choice, as long as they are the correct colour and style for the school’s uniform policy. So if you shop around you should be able to save money on most school uniform items by buying them at the retailer offering the best price.

Buy uniform and equipment second hand

Buying school uniform second hand is a great idea. It’s a good way to save money on the price of the uniform itself. And you can also resell used school uniform once your child grows out of it.

The first place to look for second hand school uniform is the school itself. Information should be published on the school website. Many schools operate a school uniform shop. If not, they will be able to tell you the best way to source your second hand uniform. 

Another good source of second hand uniform is on local social media groups. Look at both general community groups and also check if there is a specific group for your child’s school. Many parents will be checking and replacing uniforms at this time of year, so it should be relatively easy to find the items you need.

Also make sure you have a list of all the equipment your child needs for Back to School. Some of the most common items are:

• Pencil Case
• Pens
• Pencils 
• Pencil sharpener
• Rubber
• Ruler
• Glue stick
• Post It notes
• Notebook
• Calculator
• Compass
• Maths set

Whilst many stationers and supermarkets have good deals on the above items, also check out second hand sources such as social media sites and charity shops. It may be that someone who has just left school wants to get rid of all their stuff, and you could get a great bargain on a job lot.

Check if you are entitled to financial help

If you are struggling to find the money to pay for a uniform or PE kit, always try contacting the headteacher to see what support is available. It may be that there are things the school itself can do, or they can advise on whether your local council provides help with school uniform costs and who is the best person to contact.

It is also worth checking if you might be able to get a grant from a charity. Many charities give cash grants that do not have to be paid back, and some of these are specifically to help with school costs. More information on some of these charities and schemes is available from the Turn2Us charity.

Make full use of your local library

As you prepare for Back to School, and also once the new school term starts, it is worth checking out how your local library can help.

For example, if there is a school reading list of recommended books, you should be able to borrow these for free from your local library. And if your child is a reluctant reader, you may be able to get the in audiobook format which may help to engage them. If there are books or audiobooks that are not in stock, your local library may well be able to order them in from another library.

During term time, there are other ways your library can help. For example, most offer computers and internet access, and also printing. So if your child has a piece of homework or a project that needs some extra time and effort, they could work on this in the library if they need more facilities than you have at home. It is well worth considering this as an option rather than buying technical equipment that you don’t really need for most of the time.

Plan ahead for the rest of the year

Whilst your current focus is on Back to School this September, it’s worth also starting to look further ahead if you can bear the thought.

For example, once the schools go back, many stores are likely to reduce the prices of school uniform items to clear their stock. So, if you are able, it could be a good idea to buy a few bits and pieces in larger sizes, ready for when your child outgrows the uniform you are in now.

The same applies to school equipment. Many items on the list above will probably be reduced in price once schools go back, as stores will have other seasonal items to make room for. So it’s a good time to get a few spare items for when they are needed later in the year.

Also, once your child is back at school, you may find that you are running out of inspiration for what to put in their lunch box, and it can be so easy to start spending too much money on ready made items to fill the gaps. So why not check out our recent article on How to save money on your child’s school lunches for a bit of fresh inspiration on this one? This article also explains the current eligibility for free school lunches, which is another way to save money if you meet the criteria involved.

We hope that this article has given you a few ideas as to how to save money on Back to School 2024, and also to plan ahead to save money during the following school year.

Do check back here soon for more lifestyle and financial tips from Loans 2 Go.