Summer 2019 is almost coming to a close. Despite a last minute reprieve on the weather front it will soon be time to go back to school. For most parents that means a shopping list of items, from technology through to uniforms, sports kit and stationary. It can be an expensive time of year for anyone with children as a result. So, how do you make sure that you get the best value for Back to School 2019?
Technology deals
If you¡¯re not shopping in the run up to Black Friday it can feel like technology deals are going to be hard to come by. However, there are plenty of them around for those looking to provide new tech to go back to school with. Curry¡¯s, for example, has a range of offers on at the moment, including 30% off certain laptops. Dell is offering discounts of up to 33% on its back to school range of laptops and there are also deals available from Apple, including discounts on Applecare and free headphones.
Uniform and clothing essentials
Everything, from underwear to socks, can get a lot of wear and tear when kids go back to school so saving money on those initial purchases is always a good idea. Sainsbury¡¯s clothing brand TU has created multipacks for school essentials that recognise your child is going to need more than one of everything and help you to save money as a result. There are offers on everything, from jumpers to polo shirts in a wide variety of different colours. Clothing retailer Next has also developed a back to school range with prices that start from as little as ¡ê3. Easy iron shirts and knitwear in multiple colours are all part of the range. There is also a ¡®Uniform Builder¡¯ tool that shows you all the options available in the correct size for a child¡¯s age. M&S has run a fairly extensive campaign for its Back to School range this year, which includes some great deals on uniform. Prices for shirts start at just ¡ê4 and trousers at ¡ê5.50.
Stationary
Whether your child has a bit of a stationary obsession or you just need to buy them the basics there are some great deals around. Paperchase is offering 3 for 2 across its entire Back to School range, which includes some low prices, such as a pack of 8 highlighters for ¡ê8. WH Smith is offering ¡ê5 off when you spend ¡ê20 or more, as well as half price deals across a wide range of Back to School items. Staples¡¯ stationary discounts are all between 15% and 25% off with free gift offers available too.
Shoes
Children go through shoes at an astonishing rate, especially when they¡¯re spending breaktimes running around a playground. If you¡¯re looking for great deals on school shoes this summer George at Asda has options from just ¡ê12. Clarks currently has a shoe sale on with up to 60% off ¨C many of the shoes are summer sandals but there are also options that work for Back to School. The footwear retailer¡¯s regular school age range starts from just ¡ê10.
Bags
There are a lot of retailers who offer great prices on Back to School bags, including many of those mentioned above. Claire¡¯s Accessories stocks backpacks from just ¡ê10, as well as a range of other accessories, from scrunchies to purses. JD Sports has a wide selection of bags and offers a 10% student discount. Smiggle does Back to School bargain bundles that include items such as lunchboxes and rucksacks with savings of up to 34% in total.
Sports kit
Shoezone has kid¡¯s trainers from ¡ê9.99 and if you sign up to the VIP club you can get a ¡ê5 discount when you spend ¡ê25 or more. There are lots of children¡¯s PE kit items in the sale at Decathlon right now and the retailer stocks a range of low cost sports kit, such as trainers starting from just ¡ê6 and football shorts from ¡ê2.99.
As well as going direct to retailers for Back to School discounts there are other ways to save cash on these essential purchases. For example, the cashback site Quidco is offering up to 17% cashback on a wide range of back to school items, from stationary to shoes ¨C so, you can earn money as you restock for the new term.
Back to School doesn¡¯t have to cost a fortune if you know where to look for the best discounts and how to earn rewards as you go.