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Original poster

How much have you spent on uniform? How many DC's do you have and how do you plan to afford for your dc's to go to uni?

35 replies

LoveMyGirls · 14/08/2010 11:07

We've spent almost £300, we have 2 dd's one about to start school and one about to start secondary school.

Dd1 asked on the way back how I'm going to afford for her to go to uni, I said she would have to get a job and get a student loan, she said getting into debt isn't an option, I said well she could try saving every penny from now until she goes and that would help a bit but as I didn't go I don't know how much it will cost and as I'm not rich I don't see how I can afford to help her Sad

OP posts:
RatherBeOnThePiste · 14/08/2010 11:15

If a university course is worth doing then your DD will have to be prepared to take on debt. In this climate she cannot honestly expect to have it for nothing. Life is not like that and she needs to show commitment too. She is 11? She knows very little ! Do not Stress anymore today!

matumble · 14/08/2010 11:34

this year on uniform so far £48 on the branded school stuff but that includes 2 coats, 2 cardigans and a bag (1 cardigan and bag usable from last year) £6 on tshirts for younger child and after this we need to buy tights, socks and shoes so probably another £30 to £40. this is for 2 dd's 1 in nursery 1 in yr 1 in the same school. plenty of wear in older childs uniform and in her hand me downs to dd2.

we have 3 dd's and as for uni there currently isnt a plan but DH is on a low wage right now, it will start going up from may and hopefully with promotions will end up at a level where we can help them at least, though i would be amazed if we could ever support them through completely. debt is part of uni now unfortunately, i hate it but its true.

TitsalinaBumSquash · 14/08/2010 11:38

If my children want to go to uni they will have a few thousand fom thier trust funds when they are 16 to help them out.

I only have 1 dc in uniform his school are happy for them to wear non branded so i went to Matalan and got bulk Red jumpers for £1 each with an extra 20% off and bulk popl shirts and trousers so he has plenty, the one thing i dont scrimp on is shoes and got ds's from clarks and they are lasting well.

DS is still at the age where he comes home filthy from school with board makrer, lunch, paint, mud so im not buying expensive uniform for him yet.

basildonbond · 14/08/2010 12:45

If your dd wants to go to uni and you can't afford to pay for her outright she'll simply have to get into debt like all the other hundreds of thousands of students - it's the way uni funding is set up now.

She needs to look at it as a longterm investment as graduates on the whole earn more throughout their working lives fhan non- graduates. There are also increasing numbers of jobs where a degree is an essential entry requirement

As cad as uniform goes this is your most expensive year with two kids starting different schools so it won't be this much every year. Most schools also have sales of second-hand uniform which makes it all much more affordable

sarah293 · 14/08/2010 13:15

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amicissima · 14/08/2010 13:58

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Manda25 · 14/08/2010 15:41

Uniform for 8 yr old:

Last years shoes (brought in May)
4 polo tops £3 each from school
1 jumper £6 from school (still has 3 others that fit)
Trousers from Tesco's £3 x 3
PE shorts £2 from Tesco's
plimsolls £3 from Tesco's

= £31

My eldest is 19 and off to uni this year. My parents have offered to match anything he earns. His dad and i will give him £400 a month ...anything else will be his debt.

zapostrophe · 14/08/2010 17:15

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grumpypants · 14/08/2010 17:19

uniform for secondary school, incl pe kit (3 types of bottoms Hmm just over £350 incl coat, ruck sack, and school branded stuff (essential). Have no idea how i would have paid for it if granny and credit wasn't involved. Not to mention the laptop...

£120 on juniors - two jumpers; one craft apron; shoes; polo shirts

Thank goodness dc3 hasn't grown at all (same shoes) and can wear dc2's cast offs...

emy72 · 14/08/2010 17:27

We have 4 children so saving in Child Trust Funds for them. When they are 18 they can choose; they either use it for their university fees/accommodation or to put down a deposit for a house if they don't want to go to university.

Hopefully they won't run away and blow it on unsavoury things as we are sacrificing a lot to put all that money away for them!

Uniforms wise is hard to quantify, as my DD will not need anything new and my DS starts school in Sep but I bought it all in bits here and there. A guestimate would be £100 each child, to include shoes, uniform, bags and sports kit!

Runoutofideas · 14/08/2010 18:22

We have 2 children, miles away from university age yet. Dd1's uniform probably costs roughly £50 in total plus shoes (£30) and a new coat, which I have yet to find.

We have put £50 per month each into a savings account for them since they were born which they will be able to use towards university if they want to. DD1 currently must have about £3300 and dd2 about £2000 but obviously this will be a lot more by the time they are 18. (They are 5 1/2 and 3 at the moment.)

ruddynorah · 14/08/2010 18:28

They'll get their trust fund money plus some inheritance from my gran. PILs save a little each week for them too. Other than that they'll need jobs like did. My parents just bought.me a big food shop now and again.

Xenia · 14/08/2010 18:55

The schools our children went to (in th eprivate sector) have second hand uniform sales. I don't think my daughter ever had a new blazer. Most parents are quite happy with second hand uniform (although may be state school parents aren't!)

As for university it has cost me less than school fees.

The answer as ever for women is pick lucrative careers and leave the low paid jobs to others and then these issues don't arise. You know it makes sense.

LittleSilver · 14/08/2010 20:53

I hope my DDs want to go to university. As they are currently aged (fetus)1,2 and 5 it is not something that will be happening soon. I have a good job (PT and professional) as does DH, though FT.

But realistically the only way the children will pay for university is a combination of CTF and debt. And if my DD told me that "debt is not an option" I'd feel very sad that I couldn't afford to fund her but also be tempted to point out that education is a privilege that we are lucky to hav, even if it does come with a whopping price tag.

Hassled · 14/08/2010 20:58

There's no way your DD will get through university without taking on debt, unless of course the Graduate Tax is introduced, which will mean proportionately lower take home pay for the rest of her life - and she will be an adult then; it will be her decision to go and her problem.

My oldest DC has just graduated with approximately £23K in debt - that's how it is these days. And that's with holiday jobs and a (smallish) monthly allowance from us. Even my DD, at Uni but living at home, will have debts of around £13K just from the tuition fee loans.

I can't quite believe the cheek of your DD - "how are you going to afford for her to go to Uni" - she'll be an ADULT, FFS.

MmeRedWhiteandBlueberry · 14/08/2010 21:02

We have 6 DCs and their uniforms are minimum £500 each.

My eldest is going to university this year and he is taking maximum loans. He also has a job. We will make up whatever shortfall, but we anticipate that we will be quids-in.

4andnotout · 14/08/2010 21:06

I have 4 daughters only 2 of whom are at school, so far i have spent £90 on uniform but stil have shoes and bottoms to buy (another £70 ish) I think it is unlikely that mine will go to uni, they would be the first in the family if they do. If they do go (and i would love them to) they will have to get student loans and jobs to support themselves as much as possible.

ShoshanaBlue · 14/08/2010 23:43

I've already told my child that she is not going to university. She is only very young and I don't think that being saddled with huge amounts of debt is a good way to start off adult life.

ArthuriaAugustaDArcy · 14/08/2010 23:48

Uniform: I've not bought anything for this year. I bought it all second hand last year, for a total of about £250 for both DCs. September shoe bill will be about £100 for decent school shoes and trainers. Ugh.

University: not a chance of me paying for it. By the time I've paid school fees from 5-18, the money will long since have run out. If they go to university (and there's a chance they will: DH and I both span it out for as long as possible by doing PhDs), they will have to study something useful and be prepared to pay for it. If they're not willing/able to do that, then they will have to work instead!

Pluto · 15/08/2010 00:01

No specific uni-savings here for either of the DCs (10 and 1). We're not broke but I think they do have to accept that when they are 18 we can't pay their way 100%. I do hope / aim to be able to give them some sort of maintenance fund each month though and would like to pay as much as possible towards the tuition fees. By the time DS1 goes to uni we will be nearly mortgage free so we should be able to do this.

School uniform costs are OK (for us) for DS1. He's using most of his things from last year but needed new shoes and some new polo t-shirts and trousers. About £55 I think.

marriednotdead · 15/08/2010 00:27

Uniform will cost @ £170 this year for ds (13) as he's having a major growth spurt. £70 of that is for Kickers, pricey but last all year with one re-heel/sole, size bloody 10 though now Shock.

I will not/cannot afford to be funding Uni although I am delighted that my dcs have the option- the mere notion was beyond me at that age.
DD got a part time job as soon as her NI number came through and has worked through 4 years of Uni to supplement her student loan. I gave her £1k towards her Masters and she's lived rent free this last year while working full time to pay off some debts/save for the coming year. She's going back for the 3rd time to do her PGCE and will owe @£20k by this time next year when she hopefully starts teaching.
It was her choice to take on the debt and she regards it as an investment in her career although I wish I could reduce the burden Sad. It bothers me more than her though.

zapostrophe · 15/08/2010 19:20

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Original poster
LoveMyGirls · 15/08/2010 19:58

Thanks everyone, seems like we're not in the minority then, DH says we will contribute and I hope that in 8 yrs we are a lot better off but in the meantime we'll have to keep trying to work hard Smile

Xenia - I'm currently looking into what I could do to earn more in the future. I began running a childminding business at 24 but I have no qualifications really as I was pregnant not long after leaving school. What would you advise as a career that will earn me a decent wage? I am genuinely interested as to what kind of job will earn me a lucrative wage if you have any advice, I am prepared to go to college and uni when I can.

OP posts:
ArthuriaAugustaDArcy · 15/08/2010 20:38

zap, speaking at someone who used to teach a 'serious' subject at a RG university, I wouldn't recommend that anyone run up 20K to study said subject. Sadly. I'd rather my DC got jobs. But, of course, I'm not telling them that.

grumpypants · 16/08/2010 10:31

I'm with the non- ni lot - i ran up loads of debt in 4 years at a decent uni, got a good degree, and am still now earning less than if i'd left at 18 and worked my way up to manager in a shop. Definitely no uni this end unless they are v academic and know exactly how it will contribute to their planned career.