It’s time again to start preparing your child for the new school year. While your children might be more pre-occupied with the loss of their free time over the Summer holidays and the prospect of homework, parents will have many big purchasing decisions to make. With a recent ILCU survey finding that the cost of a child returning to school to be around €400, and 1 in 20 parents needing to borrow to cover the costs, Skibbereen Credit Union has some tips to help ease the burden and let you focus at getting your child ready without the stress.
The biggest cost any parent will face each year is the school uniform. We all know that there 
is a lot or wear and tear when it comes to our children’s clothes, especially with their uniform that they wear 5 days a week. Reducing the cost involved in a uniform can end up saving you a lot of money.
Most school jumpers have a crest on them, so you will need to buy this from the main suppliers, but shirts and trousers can be bought almost anywhere at a fraction of the cost. Shop around for any of the generic uniform items. Ties can also be part of a school uniform, but should last longer as it won’t need to be replaced as your child grows.
Buy a high quality schoolbag. It will last longer, and can be passed down to younger siblings or cousins as your child ages and moves onto secondary school where they’ll need a bigger bag to keep up with their workload.
Buying school stationery in bulk will also save money in the long term. Copybooks and pens don’t have an expiry date, and it’s often cheaper to buy them in bulk than individually.
If you want to set up a savings plan for your child’s education, then Skibbereen Credit Union is the place for you.
