By Siobhan O’Neill White
At mams.ie we often hear from with Mammies who are stressed about school expenses; so we have come up with some ways to shop smart and reduce costs - * Label your childs uniform, bag and c oat so if they do misplace it, they will get it back. MyNameTags.ie have personalised labels that you can order with your child’s personal details. Their labels have an antibacterial coating, so Covid and other viruses cannot stick to them. - * Buy Irish - O’Neills offers a personalising service so you can have your child’s name or initials stitched onto their sports gear. - * Instead of buying new ipads and laptops, look for offers on almost new ones. PC Clinic in Ilac SC and Apollo Mobile are great for ‘nearly new’ technology. - * Shop the sales – Many summer sales are on now, check Regatta.ie for half price rain & wind proof coats - * Buying bundles of items together can save money. See Smiggle ‘Bundles offers’ on schoolbags, pencil cases, lunchboxes etc. Much cheaper than buying individually. - * For Art supplies, ‘The Works’ stores, they have great prices on all things art related and they do good deals on stationery too. - * Dealz have different school offers throughout the summer, so keep an eye out for lunchboxes, stationery and accessories in there. - * Instead of automatically using the recommended school uniform supplier, see if you can get your child’s crested uniform cheaper elsewhere. - * DIY – If you are on a budget, you can buy generic uniform items from Dunnes Stores and add the crests later. Often schools sell crests separately or, you can have crests stitched in a haberdashery. This is a great way to save a considerable amount of money. - * For college students, Flying Tiger have great white boards, corkboards and colourful accessories to made college accommodation more homely. - * Enter competitions – someone has to win and it may be you! Check out mams.ie for competitions on back to school items. - * If you’re financial situation has been impacted by Covid, you should apply for the Back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA). Apply at mywelfare.ie (Even if you are in employment, you may still meet the criteria to receive this grant so it is worth applying!) Most of all, enjoy the summer and try not to get too stressed about back to school. As we have all learned in the past year, being safe is more important than anything else.