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Original poster

Back to school costs, how much has it cost you?

216 replies

Youmadorwhat · 12/08/2019 20:32

Urrgh...I added it all up today and by the time I get school jumpers (m&s) I will have spent 300!! 😭 breaking my heart here!! And that’s for 1 child! Blush

Just having a moan! What’s your number?

OP posts:
CakeNinja · 13/08/2019 10:43

Haven’t bought a thing yet but will spend around £1,000 same as every year.
3dc, 3 sets of school shoes at roughly £65 a pair (they do last all year and don’t fall apart).
Kilts for the dds are £60 each, then sweatshirts, shirts, bags, ridiculously elaborate pe kit (don’t buy all of it again, just the shorts/polo shirt/rugby top/trainers).
Ds is cheaper as he’s at juniors but still, he will have a new uniform and coat/rucksack/lunchbag on top.
We do buy new every year. Similar to a pp, we like them to start back at school in September looking smart and tidy and not squeezed into last years stuff. They are growing. It’s our choice.

sheshootssheimplores · 13/08/2019 10:43

Really not very much.

My advice would be the following;
Buy good quality nearly new stuff in obviously the size your child is now but also larger sizes. If I see great condition M&S trousers and shorts in the school sale I get any size upwards and just put it aside to grow into.
Short sleeves school shirts from Lidl/Aldi are about £2.50 for two. I buy about six shirts for the school year.
Logoed jumpers I buy about two sizes bigger. First because they always shrink slightly in the wash, second they’ll then do him two years, not just one.
PE kit I pick up nearly new or look out for navy sweats in charity shops and again just buy various sizes when I see them. He has a logoed PE t-shirt in a specific colour. Normally you can pick these up in the nearly new, this year they didn’t have his size. So because I have two I kept one back for my younger son and cut the logo off the t-shirt and made a patch out of it. I then ordered a dirt cheap Fruit of the Loom t-shirt off eBay and will sew the logo on. I plan on just doing this as he works his way up school abd outgrows each t-shirt.
Socks I get from NEXT -they’re £7. I have iron on labels as well as stickers. I iron name labels on the underside of each sock. Takes a couple of minutes and we haven’t lost a sock yet.
Shoes - normally the most expensive thing. I have both infant and Junior Clark’s measuring gauges. This week I measured both the kids, you put the measurements on the Clark’s site and they translate them for you. I then go online and find a deal. This year I got brand new leather Clark’s, size 1.5 for £26.99 including delivery!!

So probably in all I’ve spent about £40.

sheshootssheimplores · 13/08/2019 10:45

Thought I’d add some paragraphs 🤦🏻‍♀️

Really not very much.

My advice would be the following;

Buy good quality nearly new stuff in obviously the size your child is now but also larger sizes. If I see great condition M&S trousers and shorts in the school sale I get any size upwards and just put it aside to grow into.

Short sleeves school shirts from Lidl/Aldi are about £2.50 for two. I buy about six shirts for the school year.

Logoed jumpers I buy about two sizes bigger. First because they always shrink slightly in the wash, second they’ll then do him two years, not just one.

PE kit I pick up nearly new or look out for navy sweats in charity shops and again just buy various sizes when I see them. He has a logoed PE t-shirt in a specific colour. Normally you can pick these up in the nearly new, this year they didn’t have his size. So because I have two I kept one back for my younger son and cut the logo off the t-shirt and made a patch out of it. I then ordered a dirt cheap Fruit of the Loom t-shirt off eBay and will sew the logo on. I plan on just doing this as he works his way up school abd outgrows each t-shirt.

Socks I get from NEXT -they’re £7. I have iron on labels as well as stickers. I iron name labels on the underside of each sock. Takes a couple of minutes and we haven’t lost a sock yet.

Shoes - normally the most expensive thing. I have both infant and Junior Clark’s measuring gauges. This week I measured both the kids, you put the measurements on the Clark’s site and they translate them for you. I then go online and find a deal. This year I got brand new leather Clark’s, size 1.5 for £26.99 including delivery!!

So probably in all I’ve spent about £40.

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Original poster
Youmadorwhat · 13/08/2019 10:49

@sheshootssheimplores
I iron name labels on the underside of each sock. Takes a couple of minutes and we haven’t lost a sock yet.

Why are you labeling socks? 🤣 when do they even take off their socks in school?? I don’t think dd has ever taken a sock off in school!

OP posts:
sheshootssheimplores · 13/08/2019 10:49

Oh and coats I buy in the Christmas sales. So I have two brand new John Lewis coats in their wardrobes waiting for winter. I think I got them for about £20 each down from £40 something. It’s nice to get a brand new coat when I’m such a tight arse about everything else Grin

sheshootssheimplores · 13/08/2019 10:51

Why are you labeling socks? 🤣 when do they even take off their socks in school?? I don’t think dd has ever taken a sock off in school!

Don’t they change their socks for PE?!! My son has specific PE socks so all the kids socks get chucked on the floor as they rush off. If you label everything you’re going to save money down the line.

Original poster
Youmadorwhat · 13/08/2019 10:57

@sheshootssheimplores no, on PE day they just wear their tracksuit going into school. There’s no time for changing.

OP posts:
hartof · 13/08/2019 11:08

By the time we have everything it'll be just over £300 but this is her first year of Secondary school so there's been a lot to buy.

sheshootssheimplores · 13/08/2019 11:12

Ah okay. Also when he has mates over. Socks get taken off then too 🙈. It makes my life easier just knowing that anything I’ve got that’s not labelled probably belongs to someone else.

Original poster
Youmadorwhat · 13/08/2019 11:29

I do think I would baulk though at paying lots of upfront costs for books etc and a large contribution. One or the other is more reasonable.

So altogether not just school books and fees etc are
135 books and stationary
40 contribution fee
9 annual insurance

So 184 before I bought any uniform etc

OP posts:
Cedar03 · 13/08/2019 11:30

This year not much. Last year a small fortune as it was first year of secondary and everything is branded with the school logo. Fortunately, DD hasn't grown much so I think it will last a bit longer. I did have to buy new school shoes back in the summer term as her feet had grown.
She made noises about wanting a new school bag but I've ignored that.

ginyogarepeat · 13/08/2019 12:10

Goodness I didn't realise that uniforms weren't all branded with logos in England! That's the norm in N Ireland, for primary and secondary. Can get skirts, trousers etc in supermarkets, M&S, but nothing else.

Original poster
Youmadorwhat · 13/08/2019 12:14

@ginyogarepeat I’m in rep of Ireland and my dd’s School has no crest either.

OP posts:
ohtheholidays · 13/08/2019 16:37

I've spent £100 so far on DD11,that was for her school bag,lunch bag and matching bottle,water bottle,pencil case and stationary,maths kit and calculator.

Her shoes,P.E kit and P.E bag,trainers,uniform,socks and tights and new coat will probably cost me another £200-£300 easily.

It sounds like a ton and it is alot of money but it's nothing compared to what it cost us when 4 of our 5DC were still at school.

Jimdandy · 18/08/2019 23:56

About £500.00 for 3 children. They’re in a private school though so have to get stuff from the supplier except shirts/blouses and tights, so I got them from M and S when the 29% was on

purplebutterfly90 · 19/08/2019 00:09

A lot. Probably in the region of £250+ for DD9. Last year wasn't so bad but she's had a growth spurt so had to restock. Between buttoned shirts, dresses, ties, a new blazer (£46!), 2 x logo cardigans at £18 a popConfused, shoes, logo school bag and pe kit- it all adds up! Plus new bits for DS4 for nursery as he's shot up too. And to top it all off DD's father doesn't pay maintenance so it's been funEnvy

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 19/08/2019 08:10

During the primary years I bought new as needed so that they always looked smart not just the first term. I didn’t buy a new bag etc every year as it’s just a huge environmental waste.

Starting secondary was more expensive but the clothes are very good quality so last so spent less overall than we did at primary level.

EmpressJewel · 19/08/2019 08:17

Under £50, so far for two primary school children:

£25 on 12 shirts from matalan (6 each)
£20 on trousers and skirts from Aldi.

We bought jumpers and shoes in the summer term as they needed replacing (£80) at the time.

Plus we bought summer uniform (polo tops and checked dresses) so that was £40.

HelenaJustina · 19/08/2019 08:26

DC1 alone was £198 on uniform. She is starting secondary and everything has a logo on it, including the skirt. It is a brand new school so no opportunity to buy second hand from anywhere! I wanted to weep!

The other 3 only need new socks and cardigans, both of which I will pick up in supermarkets.

Then all 4 need new school shoes but so far (touches wood) each child has got a full year out of one pair of school shoes so at least I feel I get my money’s worth!

Phew999 · 19/08/2019 08:48

I bought 5 pairs of Next school trousers in good condition on eBay for £7 including postage.

With all the threads on environmental issues going on at the moment, I’m surprised more people don’t buy second hand uniform, even if is just the basics!

Gooseygoosey12345 · 19/08/2019 09:01

3x jumpers: £36
6x polos: £12
3x skirts: approx £15 (can't remember exactly)
Water bottle: £3
Socks: £3

Shoes still fit as I bought them in summer term, bag is still good, summer dresses were bought in summer term. PE kit still fits and is in good condition. Got away lightly this year! DS's nursery t-shirts are £14 each, we received one in his welcome pack and I won't be buying more. They don't have to wear them and he's just going to ruin them so it'll be some cheap t-shirts from primark or the like for nursery!

Erismorn · 19/08/2019 09:03

For primary school DD - £20 on a few bits of new uniform. We bought big for year R last year so the majority still fits her. Will get her feet measured but she had new shoes not long ago so hopefully she won't need then yet. School shoes are an absolute arse as her feet are so narrow that they don't even register on Clarks' width system.

Her lovely village primary supply book bags, pe bags and a water bottle, all stationary and even snacks. That combined with school dinners means there isn't really anything else left to get.

SweepTheHalls · 19/08/2019 09:06

£10 so far far on 2 packs of new white polo s. Unless your hold is starting a new school why would it be more?

Sunshineinwinter · 19/08/2019 09:08

*Because it's crazy money to spend and it's purely for the branding.

The equivalent in Asda would cost around £15 and last just as long.*

I have four not been shopping yet, it will cost a fortune our academy does not allow non logo clothes! Yes it would be so much cheaper in Asda!

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