{"id":12028,"date":"2021-09-08T02:50:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-08T02:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/devblog.foresters.com\/?p=12028"},"modified":"2021-09-08T20:01:46","modified_gmt":"2021-09-08T20:01:46","slug":"back-to-school-on-a-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/devblog.foresters.com\/en-gb\/family-en-gb\/back-to-school-on-a-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"Back to school on a budget"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Spending money on things your children\u2019s need for school is unavoidable, but there are ways to help minimise the hit on your pocket\/bank account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>10 budget-friendly back to school shopping tips<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" type=\"1\"><li><strong>Hunt for hand-me-downs<\/strong>. After you\u2019ve taken stock of your child\u2019s closet and know what items they need for Autumn, ask friends and family members who have children a little older than yours if they have any clothes to pass on. Winter jackets are particularly great to source this way, since they often don\u2019t wear out before they\u2019re outgrown and can be costly to purchase new.<\/li><li><strong>Find second-hand name brands.<\/strong> As children get older, wearing name brands can become important to them. Try shopping second hand in charity shops for these items. They\u2019ll be much more affordable than buying new.<\/li><li><strong>Buy extra school supplies.<\/strong> Paper, pencils and other school supplies that your children need all year long tend to be discounted in the weeks before school. If you\u2019re able, stock up on these supplies so you don\u2019t have to pay full price later in the year.<\/li><li><strong>Make a list<\/strong>. Some schools send children home with a list of items they\u2019ll need. If yours doesn\u2019t, make one and stick to it. Impulse buying can quickly derail a back to school shopping budget.<\/li><li><strong>Budget for next year<\/strong>. If you\u2019ve never done it before, keep track of everything you spend on back to school clothing and supplies this year so you\u2019ll have a better idea of what you\u2019ll be spending next year. You can then set aside money each week so you\u2019ll have your back to school cash ready and waiting next September.<\/li><li><strong>Don\u2019t assume you need everything<\/strong>. Take stock of the leftover school supplies your child already has. Have them clean out their draws and pencil cases so you can determine if they still have 52 pencils or 11 erasers. If so, cross those off your list!<\/li><li><strong>Go easy on extra-curricular activities<\/strong>. Try to stick with one activity per child. Not only will this make your weeknights a lot less hectic and give your kids the unstructured downtime they need, but it will also give your budget a break. Lessons and sports aren\u2019t cheap when you factor in supplies and equipment.<\/li><li><strong>Choose reusable masks<\/strong>. If schools in your area still have a mask mandate, choosing 3-layer, washable masks is more affordable than continuously purchasing disposable ones. WHO has <a href=\"https:\/\/threadsmonthly.com\/how-to-make-3-layer-face-masks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">patterns and material suggestions for homemade masks<\/a>, and check out  these recommendations on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.which.co.uk\/reviews\/face-masks\/article\/face-mask-using-guide-how-to-wear-store-and-wash-your-face-covering-properly-aQkvZ8U4ytu7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">how to wash and store masks<\/a>.<\/li><li><strong>Buy refurbished<\/strong>. If you\u2019re in need of electronic devices, buying refurbished computers and tablets is a cost-effective way to go. You can usually even purchase a warranty for extra peace of mind.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>At Foresters, we believe that smart money management is a big part of your overall well-being \u2014 but being able to enjoy quality time with family and living well are also important for happiness and health. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foresters.com\/en-gb\/foresters-difference\/memberdeals\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MemberDeals<\/a>  is a new benefit designed to help Foresters members enjoy life and save money with access to deals on everyday necessities, electronics, exciting experiences and other online shopping opportunities. Members can login to <a href=\"https:\/\/my.foresters.com\/en-gb\/benefits\/memberdeals\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MyForesters.com<\/a> to find out more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Heading back to class? Check out these 10 money-saving tips!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":12005,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1936],"tags":[2012,1966,1983,1994,2013,2011],"class_list":{"0":"post-12028","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-family-en-gb","8":"tag-back-to-school-3","9":"tag-budget-3","10":"tag-memberdeals-2","11":"tag-personal-finance-3","12":"tag-savings-2","13":"tag-shopping-2"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Back to school on a budget - Membership Matters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Back to school on a budget - Membership Matters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Heading back to class? 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