WITH the new school year looming, some parents will have to dig deep to purchase all the necessities to send their children back to the classroom.
A number of Griffith parents say the back-to-school list continues to grow and long gone are the days of basic pens and pencils.
Mother-of-three Kelli Bordignon said simple planning and budgeting can make a huge difference when tackling the back-to-school purchases and recommends stocking up when things are on sale.
“Getting the kids back to school can be expensive, but costs are expected and there are always things you can do to save money,” she said.
“I think it is really important to shop around and buy items when they are on sale, I always buy extra because some items are difficult to find when the back-to-school season ends and they are generally more expensive.”
Mrs Bordignon encouraged families to donate old school items and uniforms to charity or clothing pools to ensure all children can have access to the school essentials..
“Some families are struggling and uniforms and bags and lunchboxes can be expensive so I really think it’s important to donate any old items to make sure all children can have what they need for school,” she said.
“The clothing pool helps a number of families and gives children a sense of pride with being able to wear a school uniform, it’s an opportunity all children deserve.”
Single mother of four Kylie Bennett agreed there was a long list of school necessities, which can quickly add up to over $200, but recommends buying items that last to avoid unnecessary replacements.
“It can be an expensive list but I really try to buy items that will last like decent shoes and bags,” she said.
“If the items last than that’s where you will save your money because you won’t have to replace them each year.”
Three of Ms Bennett’s four daughters will attend school this year and said a huge saving will come from re-using items and passing uniforms down.
“I am fortunate with having all girls because if things are still in a good condition they can be passed down and re-used, having to buy everything new each year would be expensive and cost easily over $200 per child,” she said.
“I would love to buy new items every year but I just can’t do it and I would imagine a lot of families are the same.”
