Back to School Savings

This year, a new school uniform law – The Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Act 2021 – comes into effect. It recognises the huge costs many parents face when buying uniforms and branded or badged items that often need to be bought from a single local supplier. From now on, schools must consider government guidance when it comes to deciding the cost of their uniform and uniform policy – including high street alternatives instead of branded items.

But what else can a parent do to cut the cost of school uniform?

• Swap before you shop – Children’s growth patterns aren’t predictable, and sometimes clothes are too small after only a few wears – making them ideal candidates for hand-me-downs to younger children or swapping with other parents. Some schools have really taken this on board and set up ‘swap shops’ or uniform sales, a way of donating old uniforms and getting the next size up for free, or with a small admin fee. If your kids’ school doesn’t organise this kind of thing, reach out to other parents to see if you could arrange your own informal swapping session.
• Make do and mend – look at last year’s uniform and see if it can be repurposed for the start of this term. Perhaps you can let down the hems of those trousers or darn small holes in the cuffs of jumpers. Use it as an opportunity to teach your kids how to reduce waste and reuse and recycle, giving them an alternative to the culture of throwaway clothes. It’s never too soon to learn that there’s pride in saving money – and the planet.
• Check if you can get help – You can use the Government's postcode checker tool to see if your local council can offer help with school uniform costs: This support isn't available everywhere, so if your council does not offer help, you can always ask your child’s school directly.
• Shop around – make sure you know which items need to have the school logo on, and which ones can be bought more cheaply from supermarkets, local shops and markets. Not everyone has time to shop around and getting the best bargains might mean trying a few different shops, but if you can invest the time there are savings to be had.
• Only buy what you need – make a realistic assessment of how many sets of uniform you’ll need for the week. Do you really need to buy a spare uniform? Your child may outgrow it before they’ve even had the chance to wear it.
• Make a list – this can help you get exactly what you need – no more, and no less. Forgetting one essential item can mean you end up going backwards and forwards to shops or starting term on the wrong foot. If there are bulk discounts available for basic items such as shorts, tights and socks, rather than buy more than you need or use, you can always team up with another parent so you can both save money.
• Buy the best quality you can afford – hopefully, you’ll get lots of wear out of each item, so going for the best materials available can save you money in the long run.
• Hold your nerve – there’s usually a mad rush at the shops in the week or so before school starts. Every parent wants to leave uniform buying until the last minute, to make sure it will fit for the start of term. However, if there are some items that can wait another week or so – perhaps some of last term’s items still fit? - then you might find that the shops have discounted their back-to-school range.
• Get online – there are bargains to be had. eBay and Facebook marketplace are great places to get new, nearly-new, and gently worn school uniform items.
• Leave room to grow – savvy parents know that kids can suddenly have the dreaded growth spurt. Try and buy the more expensive items with room to grow.

You can also use this as an opportunity to teach your kids the essential skill of budgeting. Some secondary schools provide lists of the stationery each child will need for the school year, and you may want to give your child a budget for these essentials. They’ll learn the importance of making a frank assessment of what they need for the start of the school year, and how to get those items and stick within their budget.

In short, you can save money every September by swapping, shopping around, reusing and recycling – while teaching your children important lessons about saving money.