Back to school costs....its crazy Post a reply

[Sabbi]

Sabbi

 

Posts: 7950

If anyone has any tips on saving a few quid on Back to School costs this year please share them.

LIDL - sometimes have shoes for 7.99 and they are very good quality. We got them last year and were well impressed and just got them again this year. They were very hard wearing and sturdy.

Menswear shop, Shop St Drogheda - has uniforms cheaper than many other school shops. (Our school recommends us to go to Swords for uniforms and when you add in the cost of petrol, we save quite a bit by shopping local). Menswear also have crests and an embroidery service, so you can buy a plain jumper and have them put a crest on it for €3 if you buy the plain jumper from them (or €5 if you buy it elsewhere).


Eason has 10% off schoolbooks and free delivery or free collection in store. You can actually leave your school list in and they'll put it altogether for you and you can collect a day or two later

Penney's have loads of offers on socks and tights this week. LIDL also has good deals on socks and tights too.

[munchin]

munchin

 

Posts: 5445

I've bought my books through abcbooks most years and they do a savings club so you if can start putting money aside earlier in the year the cost of books is covered come the time the book list comes out. They had an offer of an overall discount or book covering free this yr - we got the books as soon as we got the list and only had to add an additional € 23 to what I'd put into savings club - I know it's not exactly saving but it's spreading the cost. Thankfully dd1 isn't too hard wearing on clothes and apart from her trousers and her polo shirts (whichever brand I buy the colours fade) dd2 needed very little starting off in September.

Our school also has a summer fete every year and sell 2nd hand track suits and uniforms

[Yvonne]

Yvonne

 

Posts: 7618

That was a great idea Munchin. We don't have to buy any books!! The school have them all for us, but we do have to pay €120 per year for it..

[lemonB]

lemonB

 

Posts: 180

• E-mail lemonB

Our schools do the 'Rental Scheme Books' and it is great. I paid only 45e for my 11yo son for all his books + 80e for all the materials and 100e for my 13yo again for all the books he needs for next year +100 for materials, Im very pleased with it.

Pennies have the grey bottoms both my sons need and also the blue shirt my oldest needs. This year I've been so impressed with the amount of money I've spent on back to school stuff.

[Sabbi]

Sabbi

 

Posts: 7950

Are ye all set for back to school?

Ours are back in the morning and I am about to go upstairs and get all the uniforms out.

I have mixed feelings. I loved having them here for the past few weeks - even though they did drive me mad at time - but I also need to get back to working properly and need them to go to school for that to happen.

I think I'll be a little bit sad but maybe will organise to do something nice this weekend so we all have something to look forward to.

Are you all organised?

[libby1]

libby1

 

Posts: 1226

I would advise everyone to start saving for secondary school, I have a son in TY and a daughter who started secondary
So far to get them back to school between fees/ uniforms and daughters books, I have paid €1500 and I still waiting on my da book list.
This was my daughter's second day..
I had to get a tin whistle, stationary in Tesco and sent in €7 for a book tomorrow.

[munchin]

munchin

 

Posts: 5445

Yes we're all set - everything is labelled, ironed and ready to go in their wardrobes. E1 is back mon and E2 Starts junior infants on Monday (I'm still in denial that she's starting ha ha)

Libby I've heard that about secondary school alright - 1st & 5th year being the most expensive

[Sabbi]

Sabbi

 

Posts: 7950

Well, ours started back today. It was not easy dragging us all out of bed at 7.30am but we managed to get out the door and onto the school bus on time.

Our 11 year old was not too keen to go but the 9 & 7 year olds were happy enough to get back. They all seemed to get on grand and came home in good form after their first day back. Apart from our 7 year old leaving her brand new cardigan in school (grrr!!!!!) it all went fine. Thank goodness I wrote her name on it so we can get it back tomorrow.

I was happy I could get back to work properly today and was glad to have a bit of peace and quite but in all honesty, I really missed them. I feel the summer went by very fast, I would have liked a few more weeks of holidays with them. We had such a good time on our little trip to Galway, they were all in such great form and we had a great laugh and I would like to have another week or two of that.

Oh well, roll on mid-term and we'll be able to do something fun with them

[munchin]

munchin

 

Posts: 5445

actually Sabbi - I didn't get time off during the summer holidays but we did lots of fun things on Saturday/sundays BUT I've got 2 days of during their mid-term and we've booked the same place in Galway you were - hope we have as good as time as you guys seem to have had x

[Sabbi]

Sabbi

 

Posts: 7950

How are you all getting on this year?

I heard a report this year that more and more parents are taking out loans - is this true?

I would hope never to be in a situation where I would need to borrow money for back to school.

we kind of know how not to spend too much at this stage - we've had a few years of getting used to budgeting

[Fabienne]

Fabienne

 

Posts: 1853

I also heard about parents because books and official uniform are so expensive they have to choose between sending kids to school with the perfect uniform that cost an arm and a leg (but they do it so kids don't feel an outsider) or pay utility bills.

I'm glad that the secondary school my daughter is going to it's only a jumper with crest, but skirt is any grey skirt available in any supermarket, and coat it's recommended but not obligatory (but for the first year my daughter not be be left out wants it, doesn't want to risk beeing diffrent staring secondary school), when some secondary schools have expensive skirts and on top of normal black leather shoes you need to buy expensive slippers (about 45 euro a pair) for inside the school ! So in the end parents for those schools (is it still the case?) have to buy 2 pairs of shoes (black leather (what to you do if you're have a vegan lifestyle , do they check if proper leather or can it be fake? ) + slippers, plus of course the running shoes for PE.

I'm not even going into the books and all.
When officially it's free education.

I know we're the lucky ones where we just buy what's requested, and we'll cut backs on little things but not on vital things, neither on kids activities.
But yes, the cut backs are on nights out (babysitter, food and drinks and taxi), can't remember my last night out with my husband, but not complaining and have quiet romantic diner at home and wine, and realise we're lucky.

Fabienne

[Sabbi]

Sabbi

 

Posts: 7950

They have school shoes in LIDL this week for 6.99 in black leather and they're lovely.

whats this about slippers? actual slippers? never heard that before!!

Free education my backside!!!!

[munchin]

munchin

 

Posts: 5445

we wore slippers or plimsoles in secondary school - it was to stop the floor being destroyed or so we were told! and that was in the 80's

[Sabbi]

Sabbi

 

Posts: 7950

If anyone is thinking of getting their children's hair cut before back to school, you can book Fiona from Curley Cuts to come to the house and do it. She is so brill and its much less hassle for her to come to you rather than dragging all the kids to barbers and salons! She looks after Mammies, Daddies, boys and girls so all the family.

we are getting her over next week for family haircuts - so easy getting her to come here.

See: https://www.facebook.com/Curley-Cuts-64 ... 9/?fref=ts

[munchin]

munchin

 

Posts: 5445

Have Fiona booked for Thursday!!!!

On shoes -I've always got the kids good shoes for school - especially my older girl has she has slightly fallen arches - this year my dd2 saw a pair of shoes she loved in Tesco's - so I bought them - they seem like a really sturdy shoe and even if I have to replace them it'll still be cheaper than the ones I bought last year. I got dd1 sketchers on the mandm direct - again a little over half what I spent last year and they're a brilliant shoe - she's delighted with how comfortable they are

[Sabbi]

Sabbi

 

Posts: 7950

I got my girls Skechers too - buy one get second 30% off in Marshes. I also got some shoes in Tesco - they are super hard wearing. I bought some last year and they lasted really really well. I was very impressed with them.

Cannot believe they are almost due back already - where has the time gone!!!!

[munchin]

munchin

 

Posts: 5445

m and m direct had sketchers € 50 for € 27 - definitely worth a look sabbi