Back to school on a budget? These 10 buys won't break the bank.

Thanks to our brand partner, ALDI. All signs lead to ALDI's Back to School Sale. In store while stocks last. Ranges differ between stores. ALDI

Blink, and it's here again — back to school.

No sooner have we done our Christmas shopping, eaten the glazed ham and burnt out the last of our sparklers than we are carting around a single page of mandatory school items and an eager child with stationery hopes beyond our wildest dreams (and budgets!).

Back to school is a little different for me this year, as my eldest prepares for Year 9 and my youngest takes her first giant leap into kindergarten. Their lists of requirements are very different and I was dreading having to gallivant across town and the internet to find everything they needed without burning a hole in my purse — and my sanity. But then the universe delivered some back-to-school magic — ALDI (insert angel singing here).

There is no age or budget bias at ALDI. They have every child, parent and school type covered with their vast range of back-to-school goodies, even though my two girls are very different in age and stage.

With ALDI offering the ultimate one-stop shop for back-to-school needs, their extensive Back to School Special Buys range will be available on Wednesday, 7 January and Saturday, 10 January. But if you can't wait until then, here's a little sneak peek of the awesome stuff you'll want to run in and grab before it's all gone.

Premium Leather Mary Jane School Shoes, $24.99.

Image: ALDI.

I am beyond excited to get my littlest mini me into her first pair of MJs! I learnt with my first however that quality is super important.

These premium real leather school shoes are super soft and feature a comfortable padded insole to help arches and toes cope with big school days. There's an easy-to-use buckle for little fingers and with their slip resistant soles, running in the playground won't end in a puddle of slippery tears.

And let's be honest, they're super cute!

Premium Leather School Joggers, $14.99.

Image: ALDI.

Speaking of running, sports days were always my favourite and as my girls are both super active, they can kick a hole in their shoe toes like the best of them. This is not only hard on the eyes and their toes but also hard on my bank account. If your kids are also notorious for loving their joggers just a little bit too hard, you know exactly where I'm coming from.

ALDI's joggers are made from premium quality leather and come in both black or white to suit any school requirement. They offer quality at a fraction of the price of similar joggers, and there are two style and size options available: hook and loop in sizes 11 to two and lace-ups in sizes two to six for the bigger kids.

Fashion Pencil Case, $4.99.

Image: ALDI.

My five-year-old is busting to get one of these must-have fashion favourites. Fun, functional and a little bit fancy, she believes that this is the perfect home for her prized stationary possessions. And it's a great size for her backpack, so I'm sold!

Premium School Backpacks, $14.99.

Image: ALDI.

With so much stuff to cart to school every day, a durable backpack is so important.

My eldest carries a laptop, lunchbox, six workbooks, design and tech equipment and who knows what else — so this padded beauty will be a life (and shoulder) saver.

Available in black or navy, the padded laptop and tablet compartment (up to 15") will ensure that her most expensive school possession is safe and secure. The padded carry handle and adjustable shoulder straps will provide the much-needed comfort for walking to and from classrooms and the handy elastic mesh side pockets mean that her drink bottle or umbrella won't wet everything inside the bag.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 14" Laptop, $299.

Image: ALDI.

This 14-inch notebook is so lightweight and compact, it's perfect for everyday tasks like web browsing, writing and doing homework.

What I love most however, outside of it being thin and portable, is that at ALDI, it is available at a reduced price compared to other retailers and similar products and it comes with one year of Microsoft 365 Personal so essays and school project creation will be a breeze.

It's super easy to toss in a backpack, and with its Intel N100 processor, it's not built for heavy power or fancy graphics meaning kids can just get to it without the distraction of fancy and unnecessary features.

A4 Document Folder 5pk, $2.29.

Image: ALDI.

Keeping loose papers and task sheets contained are one of the things my eldest daughter and I argue about the most during the school year. I can't even tell you how many times I have found crumbled up assessment results shoved into the teeny tiny front pocket of her school bag.

These document folders are perfect for containing the necessary, but loose bits of info, not to mention that many high school subjects require individual folders as a must-bring. I actually like these for my home office too!

Lenovo Idea Tab with Folio Case and Pen, $199.

Image: ALDI.

This compact and lightweight tablet is perfect for young people for on-the-go browsing, researching and homework duties. It offers all of the bells and whistles without the hefty price tag.

It has a big, bright IPS display and enough processing power for streaming, reading, browsing and everyday use thanks to the MediaTek 6300 8 core processor.

My girls love taking photos and with 128GB storage, this bad boy ensures that they can get click happy, and with 4 speakers, optimised with Dolby Atmos, video projects and even little light movie watching is all taken care of.

Coloured Pencils 24pk, $1.99.

Image: ALDI.

This was my favourite thing to buy as a kid, and as both of my girls need coloured pencils, this 24 pack is an absolute steal!

24 glorious, vibrant colours and easy to sharpen without the rough flakiness or constant breaking tips, title pages, posters and maths diagrams are sure to impress even the toughest of art teachers.

Phillips 19K Powerbank, $19.99.

Image: ALDI.

Me: "Is your laptop charged?"Her: "Aaaaahhhh, noooooo!" as she runs back down the driveway and scrambles to grab her cord charger and race back to the bus stop. Sound familiar?

This sleek 10,000 mAh capacity powerbank charges two devices at once and features a USBC and USBA output, there is no excuse for "running out of juice" before, during or after school.

Excel Basic Skills Workbooks, $9.99.

Image: ALDI.

We love doing homework together in our house but for my little one, the focus has been on getting her pre-prepared for the classroom while having fun at the same time.

These workbooks are great for building confidence through structured, bite-sized exercises covering fundamental skills like reading, writing, spelling, vocabulary, grammar and punctuation.

There are a variety of books available including Spelling and Vocabulary for Years 3-4, Problem Solving for Years 5-6 and Science Technology Years 1-2.

Shop ALDI's Back to School Special Buys range.

Feature Image: Supplied.

Thanks to our brand partner, ALDI. All signs lead to ALDI's Back to School Sale. In store while stocks last. Ranges differ between stores.