Free education for all the State’s children was introduced by Donogh O’Malley nearly 50 years ago. Since then, Irish parents have cumulatively spent more than €20 billion on educating their offspring as the free school system that was promised turned out to be rather pricey.
In the absence of meaningful Government intervention to drive down the cost of sending children back to school, parents will have no choice but to do it themselves or else let the cost of uniforms, books, lunches, extracurricular activities, school trips, voluntary contributions, transport and sports gear hit their bank balances – and credit cards – hard.
1 The first thing that anyone who needs to save money has to do is draw up a budget and make a list. Back to school is no exception. Write down everything you need and do your homework so you know how much it is likely to cost. The price of a uniform (or at least the shirt, skirt or trousers and socks) can cost as little as €5.50 or more than €40 depending on where you buy it. Make sure when you are writing your list to include school trips and extracurricular activities. Plan to spread the costs over the first three months of term.
2 It has never been easy to source good quality second hand clothes and books – and all the other paraphernalia your child might need. Sites like donedeal.ie and ebay.ie are a treasure trove of cheap stuff. It is also worth keeping an eye on parenting forums and sites such as schooldays.ie andschoolbookexchange.ie. And giant e-tailers like amazon can often represent great value for money.
3 Check if you're eligible for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance. It has been cut dramatically in recent years but is still worth €100 for children up to the age of 11 and €200 from 12.
4 If your school allows it, buy a generic jumper but be wary of false economies. The cheapest jumpers may not last a full year – or even a full term – so don't always sacrifice quality at the altar of money saving. If you need a crested jumper, mix and match with supermarket trousers or skirts and if you are buying multiple sets of uniforms at the same time, go for a bigger size for the third set – you'll be glad you did.
5 Too often we parents expect everything to be done by the school or the State. To paraphrase JFK, ask not what your school can do for you, ask what you can do for your school. If your school hasn't set up a second-hand system for uniforms or books, offer to set it up for them. Alternatively, setting up your own informal uniform (and books) swap shop with other parents can save a fortune.
6 Always buy stationery in bulk and never pay full price for it. There are always offers at back-to-school time so work out how many copybooks, pens, pencils and notebooks your little ones are likely to need and buy it all in one go. It will save you money in the long run.
7 Feeding children during the school year can be expensive. It can save loads to plan their day-to-day diet with military precision. Know what is needed in advance and buy it in places like Lidl and Aldi where you will get it for at least 30 per cent less than in a corner shop. To avoid potential food waste, don't overstuff their lunchboxes.Always be willing to displaying flexibility (there is little point in putting stuff in their lunchboxes if they are not going to eat it).
8 Check supermarkets for any special offers they might have when it comes to lunch box staples and base your purchases around these.
9 If you routinely drop your child to school by car you might want to consider alternatives. Unless you live miles from school, you should always consider walking or cycling. Not only is it cheaper, it is much better for them – and for you if they are young enough to need accompanying. Yes, you might have to get up a little earlier and you might have to be a pack-horse once they get tired but it beats the stress of the rush-hour car commute.
10 Don't be suckered in by cheap rucksacks or ones with this year's craze emblazoned all over them. Buy a relatively plain good quality one and it will last years.
