Why is going back to school items so expensive?!

[yoodledoodle]

I have 2 Dd's, one of 8 and one of 11. Oldest DD is starting senior school. It has honestly cost me an absolute fortune.
£200 at the school uniform shop on necessary 'logo' items
£50 in M & S on shirts/tights/socks etc
£30 school bag
£15 lunch bag
£10 water bottle
£50 school shoes
£85 trainers
£20 pencil case and stationary
£50 new school coat (plain black no logo)

Plus I have younger DD who I have also spent around £200 on to cover her new school uniform and new bits that she needs.

In total over £700 on school stuff!! Plus I have ended up buying little odds and ends! I know this sounds excessive but the majority of her friends and some of it could have been bought a bit cheaper but I don't think anything was particularly excessive?!

I feel so sorry for the pressure it puts on parents who can't afford it. I don't know what the answer is but it honestly can't be to spend this amount of money on uniform

I’ve bought Asda stuff before and it’s been great. You’ve chosen to spend that amount. You didn’t have to.

@yoodledoodle

I can afford it and I know some of it could have been bought cheaper, but not massively so! It still would have cost well over £500 even choosing cheaper options. I have bought school uniform from Asda before and it didn't even last until Christmas before bobbling/shrinking. Whereas the M and S stuff I bought lasted until it didn't fit anymore, likewise with school shoes.

The trainers were probably the most expensive item and maybe a bit excessive but honestly, most girls her age all have expensive ones and I don't want her to be left out or made fun off. School is tough enough at that age!! That's why I feel so bad for people that would struggle to pay for everything.

I do t understand the point of your thread then?

Luckily you don't send your DC to private school, your bill would be 2x or 3x more expensive.

There are far cheaper alternatives in the shops.

Honestly they dont...

School trainers get worn a couple of hours a week term time only. Really not worth it.

I think it could be an interesting comparison to work out what you'd spend on clothes and entertainment equipment (for want of a better term) if your child was at home for 8 hours a day 190 days of the year- cost per hour Vs cost of equivalent non-school shopping per hour would be quite revealing I think!

It’s expensive but I would expect anything that can’t be grown out of to last a few years..bag, lunch bag, water bottle, stationery..

All my uniform at school was bought at least a size too big, so lasted a few years. Replacements after that were from the second hand uniform sale.

Shoes and trainers seems very expensive.. £85 for an 11 year old is a bit silly.. won’t they be too small within months..

You can afford it and you chose to buy more expensive things . There's no point in deliberately spending more than you need to and then complaining about the cost! Like hell would my dc be wearing £85 trainers! I buy M&S uniform too. 2 pairs of new trousers for 13yo ds only cost £15.

My DD used to take a plastic water bottle with her initials in nail polish and bring it home every day to refill with tap. Similarly a plastic food container for lunch. I think a rucksack bought in TKMax was £20 and lasted for three years. Trainers were definitely less than £40 and happily still fit when she finished 6th form.

Other stuff would all have been quality: start-rite, JL, etc,.

It's an expected expense that would arise anywhere. Having made some expensive choices, I can't see any cause for complaint.

My DS is starting secondary school next week and the branded clothing (blazer and trousers, as well as PE items) are a PITA but everything else I tried to find as cheap as possible

Bag - £10 ordered online from Foot Asylum sale
Pencil case £5
Black socks £2
Calculator £10
Shoes - £25 from Next
PE Trainers - Nike £30
Plain white shirt 2 for £10 - Next
Stationary £5 - Home Bargains
No lunch bag as school dinner
Same coat as last year. Still fits so why get a new one?

The £200 on logo items is the issue to me, agree with others about the expensive trainers and the bags/bottle. Sole supplier, no second hand option for things such as blazers, and few things that are generic (especially for girls more than boys) is where there is unnecessarily high cost.

In part I expect also many people compare costs with the cheap and nasty fast fashion that pervades these days.

I have just ordered DS (11) a pair of Adidas trainers for £25.

You don’t need to spend a fortune to get nice things and I certainly don’t think your doing her any favours by splashing the cash just to “fit in”

I don't understand why they can't use the same school bag, lunch box, water bottle, pencil case and coat as last year. I understand the frustration about new uniform, but buying items for the sake of it and then complaining about the cost doesn't make sense to me.

If you are willing to plan ahead then it’s easy to do things much cheaper. The easiest way to do it is to buy during the sales - I bought DD and DS winter coats for this coming winter in March when shops were selling off last winter’s stock.

School bags have been bought from Smiggle, but I bought them in May/June when they had a 40% off sale on.

Shoes are harder because you can’t predict what size they’re going to be, but if you make savings in other areas it allows for the extra spend on shoes.

All uniform comes from the supermarket, bar 1 logo t-shirt and jumper each for school photo day! Aldi are excellent for uniform, who can argue with £7 for two pinafore dresses that last the whole year?! Can’t comment on their trousers yet as DS is going into Reception this year!

I feel so sorry for the pressure it puts on parents who can't afford it. I don't know what the answer is but it honestly can't be to spend this amount of money on uniform

Well you're just perpetuating the problem, you can spend what you want, but don't then act all concerned for those that can't afford it.

For those buying suits for six form, you at the Next clearance site (online). You can pick up jackets and trousers for under £50. Sizes are a bit hit and miss, but worth checking out.

Also shirts are often reduced.

I always used to put money aside each month as I knew school uniform time would be expensive, especially when they go into adult sizes.

You made it expensive OP- don’t get me wrong mine felt like a lot but isn’t a fraction on yours. £85 on school trainers is beyond foolish!

My kids have £85 trainers but not for school. For school we hit TK Max or the retail outlet.

It is expensive but it foesnt have to be as expensive as all that. Lunchboxes/waterbottles/pencil cases fe will last for years.

You’ve chosen to buy expensive stuff-most of us don’t!

Most of that could have been bought cheaper. I know the trainers have been bought up a lot but that really is excessive. As an adult I have never spent that on trainers. It’s not the norm to spend that especially for at school.

How kind of you op to feel sorry for us poor people while you simultaneously showing us how much you have spent! Bravo

I don't even buy myself £85 trainers. You overspent because you wanted to, and sounds like you can afford it anyway. What people who don't have as much money do is, not spend as much money.

I’m a size 4, I spend £25 on trainers from Nike…

Did she have no suitable uniform items from primary school that could be used?

Especially for socks, coat, tights, bag, lunchbox (£2 in QD), recycled plastic water bottle (£0), school shoes, old trainers from home, pencil case

I'm guessing you'll find some other parents manage to spend more like half of what you did.

You're gonna be very cross when you see how many kids turn up in non-regulation socks & coats (or more likely, no coat at all ever)

Op is getting a really hard time here. Yeah, I completely agree with the £85 trainers (for PE) being too much to spend.

But, it is expensive to kit kids out for back to school, even if you do ASDA/Home Bargains etc...