With the start of the new school year looming, many parents will be shopping for essentials such as uniforms, stationary and school bags.
Supermarket shelves are full of back to school products, with many parents feeling the pressure to splash out. However, purchasing so many new school products can prove to be a costly expense, especially amidst the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Luckily, one savvy Instagram blogger has shared her top tips on how you can reduce the cost of school uniforms ahead of the new term. Mum-of-two Emma Stretton runs the Instagram account @emma.wears.it.all and has partnered with Little Loans to offer six money-saving tips that have helped her save on new uniforms for her two little boys.
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Don't panic buy
It can be tempting to get the back-to-school shopping out of the way early, but according to Emma, this can lead to unnecessary purchases. Waiting until closer to the start of term and looking at what you already have can help to cut costs.
She said: “To avoid panic buying, at the end of the summer holidays do a quick audit of what you have left and write down any gaps. I usually wait until the end of summer because that way I know if the kids have grown and do actually need some new stuff or if there is still some wear in what we have. You don’t have to buy a new uniform; it’s not a rule.”
Brighten your whites
By the end of the school year, shirts and polo shirts will be undoubtedly looking a little worse for wear. However, before you go out and stock up on some new ones, Emma suggests you try and remove any stains or marks with products you have in the cupboard.
She added: "It’s inevitable that school t-shirts will end up with marker pen on them or have gone a bit grey. You can try to remove any stubborn marks with nail varnish remover or even WD40 (it also gets paint out of carpet) and then give them a good soak in some Vanish and leave them to dry in the sun. Also, it's going to get cold soon and t-shirts are hidden under jumpers anyway, they don’t need to be pristine.”
Lost property
Many kids will loose or misplace items of their uniform during the year. Emma believes that parents can save some money by looking out for any lost property clear outs organised by the school - meaning you can find those lost items, or pick up essentials for less. If this is something that isn't already taking place at your school, then it could be worth making a suggestion.
Emma said: “On the last day of every school year, our school has a big lost property clear out where parents can look for anything their kids have lost, or just grab a few extras. There’s absolutely no shame in it and lots of parents, myself included, take away a couple of unclaimed jumpers. Anything left goes into a sale at the Christmas Fair and the money goes to the PTA. So if you can wait a few months, you can get a bargain. Definitely find out if your school does the same or why not suggest it if they don’t?”
Give clothes a second life
A good way to cut down on the cost of school uniform is to get the sewing kit out and adapt what you already have. For example, you could turn a pair of trousers into shorts that can be worn in the warmer months.
Emma said: "With two boys, my biggest problem is battered knees. With a bit of Wonderweb you can easily turn trousers into shorts which should do for the first few weeks back at least. You could also use a needle and thread if you have the skills. I always forget about boys' trousers being adjustable, so remember that you can move that little button to make them bigger if they’ve grown a bit.”
DIY dye
It's not just school trousers that can be given the DIY treatment - you can also dye a school jumper to give it a new lease of life. Emma recommends using Dylon fabric dye to revive a faded jumper or cardigan.
She said: "If school jumpers are looking a bit tired, you can easily dye them back to their original colour with some Dylon. Shove them all in the washing machine with a Dylon capsule and they come out looking as good as new. There might still be the odd pen stain but, honestly, no one is judging you because your kids have a tiny mark on their sweatshirt so cut yourself some slack and do some DIY.”
Size up
If you are buying new uniforms for the new school year, then it might be a good idea to size up in order to make it last longer. Emma sees this as a good way to get more wear out of a uniform, which will ultimately save money in the long run.
She said: “If you absolutely have to buy a new uniform, always size up. Our parents did it to us and it's a rite of passage, plus kids look cute in oversized stuff. They are only going to grow, not shrink, so buying a bigger size is a good investment and then using some of the ideas above, they should hopefully last you a couple of years.”
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