Parenting

5 Back to School Budget Cheats: Get the Kids Ready for Under $40

Your mission: To get the kids kitted out for school. We’re talking shoes, uniform, backpack, lunch box, water bottle and even stationery. And for under $40. 

Sound impossible? It’s actually not. We’ve tracked down the best back to school bargains out there so you can send them to school without breaking the bank.

It’s almost time to bring out the backpacks, the lunch boxes and the homework folders. Yep. Back to reality. And the school routine. Start this year off with a bit of extra savings in your pocket. Here’s where the back to school deals are hiding.

Shoes: $6.50

Let’s start with the shoes. Your child most likely needs simple, comfortable, black shoes. And most likely will damage them before the end of term one.

back to school on a budget school shoes

But, to get you through the first few weeks, check out these Mary Jane and Lace Up shoes for girls and boys, $6.50 each from Big W.

Uniform: $6.75

Not every school will allow you to get your child’s school uniform for such a cheap price. But, if your kids’ school doesn’t have a strict school uniform policy, then you may be able to get away with a standard polo shirt and black shorts. And only pay $6.75, which I’m pretty jealous about right now considering my kids’ school uniforms set me back $70 PER uniform PER child.

back to school uniforms

Best and Less have the polo shirt goods (at $2.75 each) and Big W have shorts on sale (for $4).

School bag: $10

There are a few different backpacks on the market that come in at the $10 mark. Check out Big W’s watermelon backpack, Target’s range of coloured school bags and Officeworks’ Studymate backpacks, which even come with a bonus pencil case and water bottle.

back to school bargains backpacks

Lunch box and water bottle: $3-$4

Head to Kmart to bag the lunch box and water bottle bargains. You can pick up a lunch box for $2 and a water bottle for $1 or $2. There’s a whole slew of different styles and colours to choose from, including unicorn and superhero-themed options.

back to school bargains lunch boxes and water bottles

Of course, when in Kmart, the bargains never seem to end so you may find that you are actually spending more than $3 during this shopping trip. Words of advice: Do not pass the homewares section. Do not spend $200.

Officeworks also have cute sandwich boxes for $3. And no homewares section.

Stationery: $1 per item

Officeworks trumps again when it comes to stationery. They have HEAPS of great deals on pencils, pens, highlighters, glue sticks, rubbers, scissors, coloured pencils and more, all for around the $1 mark.

back to school sales stationary

You can also head to ALDI and pick up heaps of cheap stationery for around $1 to $2. Get the basics for back to school for less than $10!

Grand total: $38!!

See, we told you it was possible! Back to school sorted. Mission complete.

Now that you’ve got the school gear organised, head over to our school storage hacks for the must-have items for your personal launch pad.

Avatar of Jenna Galley

Born and raised in Canada, Jenna now lives in Far North Queensland with her tribe. When the mum-of-three is not writing, you can find her floating in the pool, watching princess movies, frolicking on the beach, bouncing her baby to sleep or nagging her older kids to put on their pants.

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