Back to school shopping

[onkey89]

School is right around the corner. So back to school shopping is on my mind. And it got me thinking, how does this work? Do families actually throw everything out and start brand new? Do you go through their clothes and get rid of clothes that don't fit and just supplement the difference? Last year I just reused my kid's backpack from the year before.

Anything too small but in good condition goes back to the school for their pre loved sale.

Anything too scruffy or damaged goes to fabric recycling.

I check coats and backpacks and pencil cases and replace what needs to be replaced. That's it.

Ds he has finished school. The only time I got everything new was starting school nursery and secondary school. The rest of the time I just replaced as needed throughout the year.

Uniform is so easily available now all year around it seems daft to replace just because!

I replace what has worn out/become too small/is stained. Anything that still fits is reused. Anything too small but in good condition gets handed down or passed on.

DS1 used the same backpack for years 7-11 - an Under Armour one from Sports Direct - seemingly indestructible!

I hope people don’t just throw out everything!!
I reuse whatever I can, which is usually most things (it’s only been 3 months like!) yes I reuse the school bag too!

Do families actually throw everything out and start brand new?
Wtf surely no one does this.
Just replace what is outgrown or trashed (e.g. stained shirts) and hand down outgrown stuff in good condition to a younger sibling or friends kid.

New polo shirts every year because they are disgusting by the end of the year. New jumpers & trousers/skirts when needed, new bag when it looks completely knackered, otherwise reused for the next year or dropped off at the second hand rail at school if it's too small.

Only time I bought loads of stuff was when they first started primary and secondary. Otherwise, if they outgrow a skirt, I buy a new one. Same with shoes. But it’s not in the summer.

Other than shoes, which we go through at least once a year or more, I’ve bought my primary age one a pair of trousers and a pair of shorts during this past school year. Maybe a year ago, I bought him a new jumper. All same polo shirts for past 2 years and same PE kit. I don’t know how long he’s had his backpack, since the last one broke, whenever that was a year or two ago. I don’t anticipate buying him anything new for next year.

My secondary school one is in all the same uniform from when she started Y7 and she’s going into Y9. She has outgrown her jumpers, so will need to order new ones, but that’s it.

This is pretty much what we do, with the added step of giving younger child anything still serviceable which older child has grown out of. I only buy new if it’s needed. I buy and replace throughout the year rather than all at once as well.

I do get almost everything new as by the end of of the school year it's either too small or looking a bit ropey. Of course it it fits and is still in good condition it is kept.

DS1 got new school shoes in April, so he won't get new for August this year. But he's been using the same bag for 3yr now so he'll get a new one. Some things if outgrown but good condition get handed down to his brother, but tbh not much.

But shirts and trousers always need replaced by the end of summer term. I really enjoy that last week of term where I don't need to do a school uniform wash and can just bin most things!

I always had a couple of next size up things in readiness all year round. But I only brought them into use when they were needed. The only things that got thrown away were worn out stuff. I don't think all new for the new school year applies unless they have grown out of the old stuff or the backpack has fallen apart. School shoes never lasted us a whole school year. DS went up 3 sizes one year.

My sis is law does this. Brand new everything every year, sometimes at Christmas too. She is an incredibly wasteful person however. I buy new as needed throughout the year, donating good condition but outgrown clothes to friends with you get children. We all do within my kids' friendship groups.

I used to with my daughter as she always needed the next size up by a September. But second still fits into all her clothes. So I’m just getting stuff for her that may need replacing and has worn.

We go through everything, hand on anything outgrown but in good condition (annoyingly I missed donating to the school uniform sale this year, so we’ll have to take to the local charity shop).

Check if anything is broken or very tatty - some things might be worth mending.

Then just replace what is needed. Supermarkets often have school uniform discounts at this time of year, so it’s a good time to replace.

I bought a set of school branded PE kit years ago for my eldest in Y7, got it slightly oversized and it is still looking in pretty much new condition as its third owner (my nephew) heads into Y11.
It cost a fortune new, but probably worth the money, it seems indestructible!

My kids ALWAYS grew substantially between sept and Christmas so I’d only ever buy what was strictly necessary 😆. Backpacks would depend on whether said child had pestered me for a new one (due to old one being scruffy etc)
New water bottles because I’d usually used them to the point of no return

Replaced when needed, didn’t always coincide with September. I can understand buying something new for September if you had limped along with falling apart shoes etc at the end of Summer term as didn’t want to buy new then, but the people who replace everything for a new year are just wasteful

I go through and work out what is needed for the start of term a what will be needed during the year. I have a slow growing child and she regularly gets more than a year out of clothes! I keep and eye out on the sales. I favour m and s and tu from school clothes so buy when they have a 20% sale on

My daughter is coming to the end of year 1 and has some polo shirts she has been wearing for two years that still fit. Her pinafores from reception fit until Christmas and I already had the size above ready for the new year when she had out grown them. She's only just outgrown one set of trousers from reception and the other set still fit.

PE t shirts seem to be the thing we need to replace before they are outgrown. They get mucky during the winter and stained with suncream during the summer. They still get used just not for school

Aside from polos and t shirts everything gets donated to the pta for resale or friends child. We have a draw of donated clothes ready for my daughter to grow into as she's smaller than most of her friends.

I know people who buy their kids new school uniform every summer. I didn’t. I only bought new stuff of their existing uniform was worn out or badly stained, outgrown and it wasn’t available in the second hand sale. I bought nearly all the primary uniform second hand and nearly all the secondary uniform brand new. Although, much of that uniform actually lasted up to year 11 and then in y12 they wore their own clothes. I bought DC1 a new blazer about half way through year 10 and then DC2 got it.

I do know a family who used to buy new everything every year. Both kids left school now. I’m sure it was smoke & mirrors for other things.

I only ever bought uniform as needed. Fortunately, our primary school polos were white, so they were bleached and reused if they still fitted, or kept for the younger child. Shoes polished and glued if they still fitted (rarely). We had some periods of being pretty skint when the dc were younger and we benefited from our fantastic borough-wide school uniform exchange service. I have donated everything.

In high school, it was painful enough find shoes long and narrow enough for DS, and very much only on a “needs must”

Pretty much all new this time around.... unfortunately DSD School changes the polo colour each year so they always need replacing at Summer and this year as she is going into yr 11 the sweatshirt is also changing colour..... unfortunately I can't donate either as she has taken GCSE art and her sweatshirts and polos have stains for her projects/coursework so they will be binned/recycled. PE kit is fine though so that won't be replaced. New bag, shoes and skirts needed.

DS10 had 2 new sweatshirts in June so he doesn't need anymore for September but polo's have seen better days so they will be replaced as will his shorts as they are a little on the small side. New shoes but he's had a full school year out of the current ones and lunch bag as this has done 3 school years now and looks tatty.

DS7 is moving school from September so unfortunately we will need all new and he will also be on packed lunches (as going into yr3) so will need a lunchbag. My job for this evening is to go through any of his old uniform which is still in good condition to send into what will be his old school for their uniform rack.

New coats won't be replaced until Oct/Nov if needed.

Who on earth thinks "School is right around the corner" when they haven't even broken up yet? Oh, I know, that would be a thinly veiled attempt at making a bit of market research look like a genuine poster.

OP whichever supermarket you work for please tell them to stop pushing everything a season ahead. I want to think about of any new uniform is needed at the back end of August. I want to buy Easter eggs in Holy Week leading up to Easter, not 6 weeks before. Etc.

I was sorting uniform out last night. We don't replace unless needed for sizing or that fact it is falling apart (awfully stained)

I've purchased a few bits I know we need already (either second hand or new in the sales a few weeks ago) and raided the uniform stall at the summer fair last week (a donation for a large amount of good quality items was great!)
Luckily the branded stuff tends to last across 2 years due to the sizing.

For DS8 (moving into year 4), he tends to go up a clothes size over the summer due to being a September baby. So its all out and a new size in. He gets a new backpack every year for his birthday so he tends to swap that and use it for school.
DD4 is starting this year but will go up a clothes size somewhere between Christmas and Easter so I'm getting both sizes sorted now. DD gets a bookbag when she starts school and we hold out as long as possible before moving to a backpack at request from school.

Shoes are always new in Sept unless they only went up a shoe size in the last term. DS always seems to grow over the summer.

We do tend to start the year with more than we need but by the end as items get worn out / too stained or lost, only just have enough left.

My first stop is always second hand on facebook or summer fair stood, then vinted for unbranded bits then buy new with sales, last resort is full price brand number over the summer.