Ah, it’s that time again! September’s here and that means that the Summer is officially over as the little (and not-so-little) ones head back to school for another academic year. However, although I’m certain a lot of parents out there are jumping for joy that the kids will be back into a routine and out from under their feet, as with anything, it comes with a price. From school uniforms, to new shoes, to books, to stationery, the list is seemingly endless when you’re sending your child back to school, and so is the bill.
The guys at Marbles have had a little more time to look into just how much parents spend when it’s time for the kids to go back to school and the results were pretty surprising!
Did you know that, on average, sending a child back to school costs £205.99?
Let’s not forget, that’s a UK average and in London, I think we can safely assume that this number is actually is a lot higher! We get how frustrating this can be and where kids are concerned, you want to penny-pinch wherever you can. So, with this in mind, we’ve looked at some savvy suggestions the team at Marbles made to make sure that you can cut corners where you can to avoid spending hundreds at the end of the Summer. Here are our 3 favourite hacks…
Money Saving Hack #1
Are you fed up of having to replace school uniform constantly just because of simple wearing? By this, I’m talking the dark stuff fading – that’s jumpers and socks and trousers and skirts and pinafores. Even after a few wears, they start to lose their colour and as a result, can’t really be worn and look the part.
HACK: When you’re doing your dark wash, add a small amount of distilled white vinegar. This keeps dark clothes looking newer for longer and in the long run, you’ll have to replace them a lot less! Remember, it costs a lot less to replace white vinegar than it does to replace school uniform.
Money Saving Hack #2
Is there anything worse than splashing out on a brilliant, waterproof, sensible school coat for your little miss or mister, and then they come home from school one day and suddenly, it’s not fit for purpose because the zip won’t go up (or down for that matter) Along with shoes, the coat is one of the biggest expenses of a school uniform so the longer your prolong it’s life, the better!
HACK: Zip stuck? No problem! Get yourself a cotton bud and a small amount of Vaseline to help undo the pesky caught-up zips.You could save yourself an average of £30 with a little elbow grease!
Money Saving Hack #3
School shirts can be a bit of a pain for more reasons than one. Not only can you NOT get away without ironing them because they’re the most easily creased piece of clothing, but some buttons are threaded on so loosely that even the most careful of children are at risks of popping one or two before the term is out!
HACK: Rather than buying a new shirt when a button falls off or having to dig your sewing kit out of the tin of Roses in the cupboard under the stairs, prevent it all from happening in the first place! Use clear nail polish and paint each button. By doing this, it prevents the thread from unraveling!
Pretty savvy stuff eh? Cheap changes you can make to your child’s school uniform can seemingly save you a small fortune and that definitely gets a big Captain Fantastic thumbs up! Oh and if you’ve discovered (or created) any hacks just like this, we’d LOVE to know, so drop us a line!
