With the Easter eggs long since scoffed and the kids worn out thanks to all the activities and day trips they made you organise to keep them entertained during the holidays, your thoughts have no doubt turned to sending your little ones off to school and making sure they have everything they need for their first day back.
If you are running around the house in a blind panic trying to find their pens, desperately seeing if they still fit into their school uniform or wondering if they left the backpack they can’t find at the zoo, there are some great tips to ensure you have everything your child requires and how to buy it without breaking the bank if you do need to go shopping.
Don’t buy it if you have it already
The place to start is with making a list of everything your child or children need for the new school term, from textbooks and calculators right through to football boots and lunch boxes.
Once you have your comprehensive list and before you hit the shops with credit card in hand, you should make a thorough search of the house.
How many of us have pens, rubbers and other items scattered around the house, at the back of drawers or in kitchen cupboards? There is no point wasting money on new back to school stationery when you can probably find most of what you need lying around the home.
Check wardrobes too, as you may find some old T-shirts or joggers which are rarely worn and which could be used as gym kit.
When you do hit the shops armed with your list, make sure you only buy the items your child needs. The shelves may be full of tempting offers and extra items, but you should stick to your checklist - and budget, if you have set yourself one.
So, if you are hitting the shops, what are the best ways to save money when buying back to school essentials?
Check out supermarkets for school clothes
Gone are the days when there were only one or two shops in your town where you could buy your child’s school uniform. These days, you can purchase from a host of high-street retailers.
The best bargains are often found in your local supermarket, with the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda offering everything from polo shirts and sweatshirts to trousers and skirts at great prices. In fact, you can get a full school uniform for as little as £7 if you do your research, with some retailers also offering free delivery or click and collect in store.
As well as supermarkets, you will also find back to school clothes online at stores such as Matalan, BHS, Debenhams and Marks & Spencer, while you can also check out charity shops in your area for a real bargain.
Wherever you shop, be aware that your child is likely to grow out of clothing very quickly. Therefore, if you do find a great deal, it might be worth buying bigger sizes too while they are cheap, so that you do not end up spending more when your child can no longer fit into their uniform.
You will find some great deals at TopCashback, which will earn you money when you shop online, with the following merchants:
Shop around for stationery and books
Pens and pencils may be at the bottom of the cost spectrum, but it is still possible to make some decent savings if you buy from the right place. You can also save money if you purchase in bulk, which you can do as you know your children are always going to need stationery.
Again, supermarkets are great places to find a good deal, but we have a fantastic exclusive offer from The Works at the moment of 21% cashback on online purchases.
You can also combine this deal with a voucher code offering up to 15% off orders, meaning you could save yourself a packet, but hurry as the exclusive cashback offer expires on Sunday.
When it comes to books, leaving it late could end up costing you more money, especially if you have to buy them through your school.
Sites like Amazon and eBay are usually the first port of call for parents, but you should also try places such as AbeBooks.co.uk, which stocks new and used textbooks, as well as reference books, and offers savings of anywhere between 50% and 90% on list prices, along with free postage on many titles.
You can currently get 5.25% cashback on online purchases at AbeBooks.co.uk when you shop through TopCashback, while you will also find a voucher code for free delivery.
While we hope we have covered the essential school supplies your child is likely to need ahead of the start of the new school term and provided you with some fantastic money saving tips, you can browse TopCashback to find superb cashback deals if you need to buy tech, sports equipment, name labels, calendars, dictionaries and more for your child.
For a complete Back to School checklist, check out the Money Guides.
