NOW CLOSED MORE PRIZES ADDED! Take part in a survey about back to school costs and win 1 of 4 House of Fraser vouchers

[NewGirlHelenMumsnet]

We've just quadrupled your chances of winning a House of Fraser voucher - now 3 x £50 and 1 x £250 voucher up for grabs if you take part in the survey below...

eBay has asked us to find out what Mumsnetters think about the back to school period in terms of the cost of buying everything your child needs for the new term.

Please take a few minutes to complete this short survey. It is open to all UK Mumsnetters with at least one child of school age. Everyone who takes part and enters their details at the end will be entered into a prize draw to win one of four vouchers for House of Fraser (one for £250 and 3 for £50 up for grabs - all can be spent in store or online).

If you have more than one child at school, please just choose one and answer about them.

Please click here to take part in the survey.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!
MNHQ

[NewGirlHelenMumsnet]

atyourcervix - it means things you hadn't accounted for/anticipated having to pay for at the start of term

greatgooglymoogly - thanks, will change that for you

[AtYourCervix]

am I extra organised (HA!) to have accounted for everything then? Haven't had any unexpected bills but have paid out ££££££££££££££££ in expected ones.

[SilveryMoon]

Done

[elphabadefiesgravity]

What a strange survey

[WhoWhoWhoWho]

Done.

I have noticed this summer holiday loads of back to school advertising link to netbooks/ laptops. Laptops? Really?

I'm very no nonsense about it, DS gets basic school uniform gear

His bag and lunchbox gets replaced when it fall apart, not when it's September term. He gets a plain black pair of shoes which are not clarks prices, and a new winter coat which is not expensive. I see a lot of parents getting really carried away buying allsorts that isn't really needed.

[ilovesprouts]

i buy my sons school trousers from asda . jumpers & polo sirts from school and pe kit too they have schools name on bit costly for 4 years old but hey .dont need to buy pens etc yet .and shoes he gets piedros so just get nice coat socks & underpants

[aseriouslyblondemoment]

done

[neverontime]

done

[inmysparetime]

Done- my kids don't really grow so are quite cheap in terms of school uniform!
DS has got 3 years out of his shirts and DD 2 years out of skirts.

[toomuchmonthatendofthemoney]

done. ds has just started school and its scary how much it cost to kit him out, even tho all done in supermarkets!

[talkingnonsense]

Done, and I agree- very random questions!

[fruitshootsandheaves]

Re: dropping off at school gates I looked for the option of
'I go in my pyjama's, nightie and slippers as I am a slattern and don't care I don't need to get out of the car' but it wasn't there so i had to go for the casual answer!

[Mermaidspam]

Done

[Tortoise]

Done.
DS2 starts secondary school in September so has cost more than normal.

[gorionine]

Done, Question 4 very diffucult to answer as unclear if school trips or meals a counted or just the back to scholl stuff is.

[Meglet]

done.

[SDTGisAnEvilGenius]

Ooops - I have done the survey, but put my nickname down as SDTGIsAnEvilGenius, instead of SDTGisAnEvilGenius (I capitalised Is, and shouldn't have).

If this is a problem, please will you change it for me, MNHQ? Pretty please.

[FlyMeToTheMooncup]

Done :)

Whox4 - I was a bit about all the laptop ads too. Having said that we just bought 2nd hand laptops for my twin DSDs, but that'll be their main Xmas gift. They've no idea yet, they'll be over the moon :) they're going into yr9 and start some GCSEs this year, and they currently share 1 PC with their 19yo brother and their mum, so getting coursework done would be a nightmare!

incidentally the laptops were off ebay

[moonbells]

I am unsure as to if I can do it - DS is starting a nursery school which requires uniform - which is a hefty price! But not technically school... can I do the survey?

[gillybean2]

Done - very weird survey, but being a short survey is always a bonus!

[JulesJules]

Agree, odd survey (suddenly leaps to school run dresses ).

DD1 is about to start middle school, and I have spent a fortune on stuff for her. She needed a new uniform obviously - the games tops and jumpers were only available from the school, even with the rest coming from Asda/ M&S 20% off offer it adds up. Then there's a bag for school and a games kit bag etc.

One of the irritating things was the uniform list from school had a lot of stuff on like football boots and socks, tracksuit etc which I dutifully bought, then on the open evening the HT looked v vague about it and said Oh they won't need to have all those things. SO DON'T PUT THEM ON THE LIST THEN. Grrrrrrr

The thing which worries me most is the cost of trips - I don't want her to miss out, but some of the trips will be unaffordable.

And laptop HAHAHAHAH

[gillybean2]

JulesJules- Trips generally ask for a voluntary donation towards the cost, but also say if not enough people donate they may have to cancel. Even if you can't afford the whole amount for all/some trips speak to the school and see if you can make a smaller donation or if they can help you find funding for it.

Ds has only been on a couple of trips which involved £5 for the coach, and a theatre thing which came to school, which needed £6 i think. So it may not be as bad as you think!
Oh he also had to pay a donation for other stuff at various points last year - ingredients for a couple of subjects (£6 & £4), french workbooks (£3) and DT materials (£10 and £6). It all adds up though.

And of course there's the 'friends of ....' who want a direct debit donation preferably, and sponsor day, red nose day etc....

[JulesJules]

Oh I know - so far (at First School) the trips have only been in the £5 - £10 range, with some cheaper than that, and they do always say that the cost is voluntary. But the main trips at Middle School are residential, running into the £100s.

Yes, I'd forgotten the £5 per half term "craft and baking" money, the charity donations, the wear your own clothes for a day donations etc etc.