Six ways to send them to school without breaking the bank

In a back-to-school buying frenzy? Check out these simple ways to keep the cost down

I love buying the kids school things at the beginning of each year. I love everything about it. I love shopping for stationary, taking them for shoe fittings, buying their uniforms and imagining them wearing everything and using everything.

I want them to have everything they need for school, plus a couple of cute little extras. But I don’t want it to cost a fortune.

Each year my son’s school provides us with a list of items we need to buy ahead of the beginning of the school year. In Kindy it was short and sweet, requesting a packet of crayons, some wet wipes and a spare pair of undies in a zip lock bag.

Fast-foward to Year 4 and it’s gotten pretty darn long and involved. Thankfully we already have some of the times from previous years (dictionary, bible) however I am now shopping for ‘clear ruler’ and ‘clipboard that isn’t see through’. He also needs pens, a USB and an enclosed sharpener.

I used to buy everything full price from one over-priced store but no more. There are so many ways to save money on school supplies without it costing a bundle.

1. Affordable shoes

I have a secret to share with you. Lean in, I’m going to whisper. Pay attention because it is the best advice you will ever hear when it comes to children’s school shoes…”Affordable shoes won’t deform your child’s feet”.

Brilliant, huh?

You also don’t want to buy shoes that disintegrate after a couple of weeks.

Like most purchase when it comes to children, doing a little research before hitting the shops will help you identify quality brands that don't cost a bomb.

Yes it is important to have your child's foot measured in a fancy shop but don't let them up-sell you. That happened to me one year. I decided to fork out a stack for the most expensive school shoes for my son (don't want deformed feet now, do we?) and guess what happened? He lost one. Just one. How? Bugger if I know.

I will never buy the most expensive school shoes again.

Also buy shoe polish and a couple of extra pairs of shoes laces to keep them looking snazzy and fingers crossed they'll last the year.

I won't even tell you the story of my friend who bought her son expensive shoes and he had the audacity to have a growth spurt just half-way through first term!

2. Good stationary at a fraction of the price

When your child's school gives you the list of items they'll need for the following year, start buying bits and pieces straight away but save purchasing pencils, crayons and pens until a couple of weeks before school begins because everyone will have them ON SALE.

Love it

I have managed to buy stationary for both my boys and a fraction of the price I would pay if I'd shopped before the New Year. Don't worry, they don't run out. Most good stores, especially good discount stores, have the best brands. But here's a tip.

Don't do the stationary shopping with your children there. They'll want one of everything and spot other things they want. You'll give in, buy items you weren't planning on buying, lose concentration on what you were there to buy and it all falls in a heap.

3. The best drink bottles are the cheaper ones

Picture this...you have a son who loves Skylanders, or a girl who loves Bonza Bratz. You lovingly search for a lunchbox, drink bottle and pencil case that suits their favourite theme.

Everything matches. You feel like the worlds' best mother.

Until, your child mentions in passing that the drink bottle sucks and they find it hard to open, close and drink out of. NOT something you want happening during those first few weeks of school when it is hot.

The cheaper bottles are easier to drink out of so don't get too fancy. Also, kids lose things so buying two affordable bottles is better than an expensive one they can't drink out of.

This is four years of experience talking here.

Once my crazy son manages to lose two bottles each year he gets a refilled bottle of Mount Franklin for the rest of the year which suits in just fine. Kindy and Year One kids normally need a twist bottle so they don't spill it all over the place but after that it just doesn't matter.

4. Uniforms are a good thing

Do you know how much money we save buy living in a country where kids wear uniforms to school? This is where you'll need to fork out some bucks and you should.

Imagine what it would be like if children wore what they wanted? Every time they changed their minds about what colour they liked, the characters they followed and as they got older, the latest brands and trends sweeping through, you'd be facing pester-pressure to constantly upgrade their wardrobes.

Uniforms can be expensive but they last for ages and it's such a relief not to have to come out with outfits each day. But don't go overboard.

You only need 2 shirts and 2 pairs of shorts/pants per week because most schools have a sports day or too. By the time they've had a sports day with their sports uniform you would have laundered the 2 shirts and shorts/pants. It's a great rotation that works very well.

Buy 2 hats, not one, 2. Leave one on you and one in the car because YOU WILL FORGET IT AND LOSE YOUR MIND.

Buy lots of socks. Where do those things go?

Also, don't bother buying winter items like jackets and jumpers until later in the year. Your child might have grown by then and it gives you the chance to spread out the cost.

One more thing. This might be the scars of childhood talking but if you are going to try and match their uniform at cheaper stores do so carefully. Children don't like to be different and not fit it. My mum bought me the most horrible tracksuit instead of the school one and I begged for the same one the other girls wore. They all looked the same and mine was slightly different and of bad quality and covered in fluff. I was tortured by it.

It's better to buy second-hand items than try and match at cheaper stores. Most schools have second-hand items and if you know people at the school offer to buy their second-hand items. I did this and really helped with the cost.

5. Food

I love new school mums. You can spot them from the lunches they pack their kids. They buy those lunchboxes with little compartments and special little containers for fruit. They cut fruit up, pour corn out of a tin and pack it with a fold-up fork.

Then have their hearts broken when their children return the lunches barely touched.

Food for school needs to be fast and a favourite or they won't touch it. Now before you get all snooty and explain that your child does in fact eat their lunch I'd like to point out two things:

1. Yes, some kids do eat all their lunch;

2. Many of them throw it in the bin to make it look like they have eaten their lunch.

The only reason I knew my son was barely touching his lunch was because the school introduced a 'no rubbish' policy for the school. To cut down on waste they started making the kids leave their recess and lunch rubbish in their lunch boxes.

EVIDENCE.

Philip was taking ONE BITE out of his sandwich and ignoring anything that required opening. And it's not just boys. My niece is the world's slowest eater. She nibbles daintily. There is no way she's getting through a sandwich, grapes AND juice in one lunchtime.

Kids just want to play.

Cut down on food waste and cost by identifying foods that your child loves to eat, are reasonably healthy and won't lead to too much waste. At the moment my son eats either Corn Thins for lunch or a John West Chili Tuna Pack. He wanted a break from sandwiches so that's what he gets for his weekly lunch order, a nice, fresh cheese and tomato sandwich.

If you are packing sandwiches, during summer, pack them with a frozen ice block or juice which you have wrapped in a paper towel. Explain the don't have to have the ice block or juice, it's just to keep the sandwich cool. Then refreeze it that night for use the next day.

Don't be afraid to pack the same thing over and over again if they love it and a couple of times a week ask if they like it, if they want something different and don't worry, they won't starve.

The great thing about Corn Thins and Tuna Packs is that if he doesn't eat them (despite my begging and urging and lectures about energy) he can have the Corn Thins when he gets home and the Tuna Pack can be saved for another day.

Also, this is why it's so important to get up a bit early on school days so you can enjoy a calming coffee in peace AND get a good breakfast ready for them, just in case they don't get a chance to eat properly during the day.

6. Label EVERYTHING

For some reason I hesitated when it came to labeling my son's items properly. My mother had never done it for me and there was a girl at school who was over-labelled, and I might have some residual fear due to how she was treated in school.

Anyway...

It's much better to buy good, clear labels than go crazy with a black Sharpie. It looks neater, never fades and labels these days come in every shape, size and colour you can think of.

I don't go as far as ordering name labels for each and every pencil, although many do, but labeling their school bags, lunch boxes and drink bottles is a great idea.

If you only label one thing properly, make it their uniforms. Children lose items constantly and if they are clearly labelled you won't have to go searching through lost property, they'll be returned to them quickly and easily.

However when it comes to labeling uniforms, only put their full name, not what year they are in. Many items last longer and my son still has his school hat from Kindy which as "Philip Porte KW" scrawled across it with a black Sharpie. NOT a good look for a practically grown person in Year 4 who is turning 10!

I bought him a new one but he said it looked too new and too stiff so he made me distress it. I had to launder it several times before it was worn in enough for him to start wearing it, and the label is a discreet clothing label that just says, "Philip Porte".

My favourite company to buy labels from is That's Mine, but feel free to recommend other companies in the comments section of this article. That's Mine are online and have every kind of label you can think of. And you'll have enough labels to last you for years at less than $30 (I bought labels for all 3 kids with $30).

Some final thoughts...

Talk to children about money up front. They get a certain amount for tuck shop each week and that's it. Just $2 is plenty. They can spend it each week or save it up. And restrict lunch orders. It's easy to get into the habit of ordering them but once a week is plenty.

I love the thought of my kids eating the food I have packed for them. It makes me feel connected to them some how.

Also check in on their stationary from time to time because they might need it replenished mid-year. If I can afford it I often buy extra textas, pencils and crayons to add in during the year when they need more.

And get organised. No matter how tired you are, you save yourself money and your sanity by cleaning out school bags and lunchboxes and maintaining uniforms, shoes and school bags. Show them that these items are valuable and need to be cared for. Instill a sense of pride.

They are lucky to have all these items for school so they'd better take care of them.

Do you have any tips to add to this list?