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A Back-to-School Budget
We haven't even celebrated Christmas yet and already I'm talking back-to-school. I know! But we need to talk about it right now.
Some of you may have already been slugged for back-to-school expenses for next year, and if you have school aged children, no matter how careful you are, there will be expenses. And these expenses need to be budgeted for so your kids can start the school year with everything they need, and you can start the school year without worrying about how you're going to pay for it all.
The easy answer is to have a back-to-school budget - and then stick to it! Your school should be able to give you a list of everything your child needs from crayons to sports uniforms, with prices. This is what you'll use to create your back-to-school budget. Just remember, the prices on the school list are not what you are going to be paying - your kids will be going back to school Cheapskates style!
First things first, most primary schools will send home a bill and order form for a stationery pack before the end of the year - you don't need to buy this pack! You can supply your own stationery pack and save money. The school may not like it; my children's school certainly didn’t, but I couldn't afford an extra $135 for things I could source much cheaper. I stood my ground and they accepted that I would supply everything on the list on the first day of school.
You may not want to do this, but there are plenty of other back-to-school expenses you can control.
Before you buy anything, check that you don't already have it. Whether it's uniform items, lunchboxes and drink bottles, pencil cases or calculators - follow our first rule of shopping and shop at home first.
Go through the kids' school bags when they come home on the last day of school and take out anything that can be reused, and cross those items off the shopping list. Don't toss exercise books and notebooks that are only partially used. Carefully remove the used pages and they're good to be used again.
Check uniforms and anything that can be worn next year, or passed down to a sibling, put aside and cross them off the list. Then have a good look at everything else - is it in good enough condition to sell? If so, clean it, take some photos and post the items on the BSS sites in your area. You may just earn enough to cover your back-to-school costs!
And if you need uniform items, look on the same sites to see if you can pick up some pre-loved pieces to help with your budget. Ask mothers who have children a year or two above yours if they have uniforms for sale and you may pick up a bargain. I was able to save $270 on a school blazer just by asking another mum if her son had grown out of his. She was happy to sell it to me for $30, an absolute bargain, because he was finishing school. That year, new blazers were $300!
Before you buy a new backpack or school bag, make sure the current one really needs replacing. Often a good clean is all they need to bring them back to life.
Ditto school shoes and runners. Kids feet grow quickly, but if their school shoes are in good condition, clean them up and before you buy new shoes in the new year, make sure they don't still fit. The saving is at least $20 a pair. Put the money aside in case you need to replace them later in the year. If you don’t need to buy them, cross them off the list.
If you do need to buy new school shoes, keep an eye on the sales. There's no point in paying double in February if you can save 50% in January.
Pencil cases, lunchboxes and cooler and drink bottles can all be cleaned up and reused next year; they do not need to be replaced every year. The savings add up quickly - easily $15 per child you won't be spending by doing this. If you think Junior will be upset with the same lunchbox, jazz it up with some stickers or draw on it with a Sharpie to make it unique. The advantage of this is it is a one-off, so it's easily found when it gets lost.
All these things will be easy if your children are younger. Older children may start to object to having to reuse their school items. Stick to your guns. Explain to them how much they would cost to replace, and what you could do as a family with that money. Let them suggest some fun ways to spend a portion of the money you've saved then challenge them to make sure the back-to-school shopping comes in under so they can have their reward.
Give them the sale flyers and have them make lists of where to buy what, and how much it will cost. You can always check it to make sure nothing has been missed (or *accidentally* added) before you go shopping.
And lastly, leave them at home when you go shopping. You'll not only be in and out of the stores faster, but you won't be tempted to give in and buy something that's not on the list. You'll be saving money, time and energy!
Some of you may have already been slugged for back-to-school expenses for next year, and if you have school aged children, no matter how careful you are, there will be expenses. And these expenses need to be budgeted for so your kids can start the school year with everything they need, and you can start the school year without worrying about how you're going to pay for it all.
The easy answer is to have a back-to-school budget - and then stick to it! Your school should be able to give you a list of everything your child needs from crayons to sports uniforms, with prices. This is what you'll use to create your back-to-school budget. Just remember, the prices on the school list are not what you are going to be paying - your kids will be going back to school Cheapskates style!
First things first, most primary schools will send home a bill and order form for a stationery pack before the end of the year - you don't need to buy this pack! You can supply your own stationery pack and save money. The school may not like it; my children's school certainly didn’t, but I couldn't afford an extra $135 for things I could source much cheaper. I stood my ground and they accepted that I would supply everything on the list on the first day of school.
You may not want to do this, but there are plenty of other back-to-school expenses you can control.
Before you buy anything, check that you don't already have it. Whether it's uniform items, lunchboxes and drink bottles, pencil cases or calculators - follow our first rule of shopping and shop at home first.
Go through the kids' school bags when they come home on the last day of school and take out anything that can be reused, and cross those items off the shopping list. Don't toss exercise books and notebooks that are only partially used. Carefully remove the used pages and they're good to be used again.
Check uniforms and anything that can be worn next year, or passed down to a sibling, put aside and cross them off the list. Then have a good look at everything else - is it in good enough condition to sell? If so, clean it, take some photos and post the items on the BSS sites in your area. You may just earn enough to cover your back-to-school costs!
And if you need uniform items, look on the same sites to see if you can pick up some pre-loved pieces to help with your budget. Ask mothers who have children a year or two above yours if they have uniforms for sale and you may pick up a bargain. I was able to save $270 on a school blazer just by asking another mum if her son had grown out of his. She was happy to sell it to me for $30, an absolute bargain, because he was finishing school. That year, new blazers were $300!
Before you buy a new backpack or school bag, make sure the current one really needs replacing. Often a good clean is all they need to bring them back to life.
Ditto school shoes and runners. Kids feet grow quickly, but if their school shoes are in good condition, clean them up and before you buy new shoes in the new year, make sure they don't still fit. The saving is at least $20 a pair. Put the money aside in case you need to replace them later in the year. If you don’t need to buy them, cross them off the list.
If you do need to buy new school shoes, keep an eye on the sales. There's no point in paying double in February if you can save 50% in January.
Pencil cases, lunchboxes and cooler and drink bottles can all be cleaned up and reused next year; they do not need to be replaced every year. The savings add up quickly - easily $15 per child you won't be spending by doing this. If you think Junior will be upset with the same lunchbox, jazz it up with some stickers or draw on it with a Sharpie to make it unique. The advantage of this is it is a one-off, so it's easily found when it gets lost.
All these things will be easy if your children are younger. Older children may start to object to having to reuse their school items. Stick to your guns. Explain to them how much they would cost to replace, and what you could do as a family with that money. Let them suggest some fun ways to spend a portion of the money you've saved then challenge them to make sure the back-to-school shopping comes in under so they can have their reward.
Give them the sale flyers and have them make lists of where to buy what, and how much it will cost. You can always check it to make sure nothing has been missed (or *accidentally* added) before you go shopping.
And lastly, leave them at home when you go shopping. You'll not only be in and out of the stores faster, but you won't be tempted to give in and buy something that's not on the list. You'll be saving money, time and energy!