Back to School: Where to get the cheapest supplies for the 2024 school year
Parents across Geelong and the Surf Coast have shared their hacks to getting the cheapest school supplies possible. SEE THE LIST OF PRICE COMPARISONS
Geelong
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Avoiding social media trends and investing in the right products are among the tips for saving money on back to school supplies, as an analysis reveals where to get the cheapest items.
Armstrong Creek mum Kit Kline has four children, aged seven, 11, 14 and 17.
The 50-year-old said the key to saving money was to “use what you have”, rather than buy new every year.
Ms Kline said the main items she kept from one year to the next were bags, lunch boxes and hats.
“If they lose a hat, they don’t get another, because hats can be expensive,” Ms Kline said.
“They need to either stay in the shade for the first term, or borrow one from the office.”
Figures from Officeworks reveal that parents are expecting the cost of buying school supplies and uniforms to increase by $341 – or 36 per cent – compared to research in YouGov’s Annual Back to School Research Report that pegged spending in 2023 at $944.
Ms Kline said she chose carefully what to spend more on.
She said she “wouldn’t budge” on paying for good quality shoes and drink bottles.
“That’s going to last them for the whole year instead of buying the cheaper water bottles which tend to crack,” Ms Kline said.
“So having a good, secure water bottle they can have for the whole year (is important).”
Ms Kline said it was important to not be tempted by name brand items, and to avoid being influenced by TikTok and other social media platforms.
She said this was especially important given the cost of living crisis and “everything” increasing in price.
She said her go-to stores for uniforms and stationery were Kmart and Officeworks respectively.
For parents dreading the purchase of devices included iPads and laptops required by schools, there are no interest loans (NILs).
St Vincent de Paul Geelong’s NILs program co-ordinator Jo Boyd said the program allowed low income families to pay back a loan of up to $2000 within 12 months, with no extra charges.
“It’s much more achievable than paying it off (with interest) or having it all in one month,” she said.
“These are essentials for school and are really difficult to save up for if you’re on a low income.”
Good Shepherd’s Good Money Stores also offer NILs.
Other top tips from other local parents included buying books through Amazon, joining Facebook groups for particular schools for resold items, shopping at op shops, and in general shopping around to find the cheapest options available.
For stocking up on lunch box items, one mother said if you had multiple children, she recommended avoiding pre-portioned snacks.
“(Instead) buy an extra large pack of something and share it out in as many snack sized re-usable containers that it will stretch to,” she said.
“Then stack them on a shelf in the pantry for kids to grab that week when they are making their lunch.”
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Originally published as Back to School: Where to get the cheapest supplies for the 2024 school year
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