Jackie Gower- School Uniform Savings

Friday, January 20, 2012 1:54 PM

I had a lovely surprise today!  I received a cheque in the mail for $90 for some uniform items I sold last year.  I simply took them to the uniform shop at the school and they sold them on my behalf.  It’s a super easy way to make some extra pennies but just as importantly I know my boys’ old uniform has gone on to help other families save money too!  Kitting the kids out for the new school year can be a huge expense, so try these tips from www.simplesavings.co.nz and see how much you can save!

Check with your school first.  Before rushing out and buying everything new, find out if your child’s school sells second hand uniform.  Most schools do these days but it’s not always common knowledge so it definitely pays to ask.  The majority of them will only sell good quality pre-loved items so you can be assured of a good bargain.

Ask other families.You can make some terrific savings on school uniforms by asking other families with older children who attend the same school.  I sold one friend three pairs of school shorts for her son for $10 each, saving her $120, and another friend sold me a school jumper for $15, saving me $60.  There are many groups of parents who pool together and swap school items to help each other save.  If there isn’t one already in your area, why not start one?

Place a ‘wanted’ ad.There are heaps of places you can place ‘wanted’ ads for school uniform items for no charge.  Try your school newsletter, the free classifieds or local notice boards e.g. the supermarket.  I did this one year when the school ran out of winter jumpers and the kids were freezing and ended up with two jumpers for free!

Customise your uniform.You can achieve ‘the real thing’ while staying within school guidelines.  Anne saves on expensive school shirts by purchasing plain ones from stores and simply stitching on the school emblem.  As your child outgrows each shirt, just remove the emblem and attach it to the next!  As for shoes, I almost fainted when I saw my kids’ recommended black leather school shoes priced at $120!  Instead we hunted around and found some which looked exactly the same for just $30 each.  I bought both boys a pair and they lasted the whole year!