9 Back to School Essentials That Probably Aren’t On Your Booklist

This post is sponsored by BIG W. Read on to enter to win 1 of 4 $100 gift cards.

Getting kids ready to head back to school can be a real strain on the family budget. Not only are there uniforms to buy and booklists to fill but I also find there are a whole heap of other essentials that need re-stocking right before school goes back. It all adds up way too fast! Fortunately BIG W is a one stop shop when it comes to everything back to school, for both the items on your booklist and those that aren’t. So before you hit the shops be sure to check which of the following you need to add to your list and save yourself a second trip 🙂

9 Back to school essentials that arent on your booklist

1. Book covering

9 Back to school essentials that probably aren't on your booklist

I smiled when I saw a friend on Facebook recently complaining about how much she hates covering schoolbooks. I secretly kind of enjoy it – it’s relaxing or rewarding or something I guess. Plus it adds a little personality to your child’s schoolbooks and will hopefully help stop them falling apart quite so easily.

BIG W stocks a range of book covering rolls with prices from $2 including popular character prints and BIG rolls of clear Contact.

2. Labelling

9 Back to school essentials that probably aren't on your booklist

One job I don’t enjoy quite so much is labelling everything but, of course, it must be done. I remember seeing Immy’s brand new (and as yet unlabeled) school jumper being placed in a huge class pile of jumpers during a school sport lesson last year. I can’t tell you how quickly I moved to grab it off that pile. A fabric marker will be your best friend when it comes to labelling uniforms. I also make sure Immy knows where to find her name on her clothing so that if she is ever not sure which hat, jumper or sock (yes, I have even taken to labelling socks thanks to the joy of school swimming lessons) is hers, she knows how to identify it.

So don’t forget to grab a fabric marker and some book labels (these Hello Kitty ones are just $2). Of course, given my Sharpie addiction I couldn’t help but also grab some cute neon coloured Sharpie markers from BIG W as well…purely for labeling schoolbooks, you know 😉

3. Socks – LOTS of socks!

9 Back to school essentials that probably aren't on your booklist

Speaking of socks, if you have a sock-eating monster at your house, my tip is buy plenty of extras (all of the exact same socks) in an attempt to overcome those school morning, “Mum, I can’t find my socks!” moments. Even better if your children all have similar shoe sizes because then one style of socks for school does everyone. These Rio 5-packs are $9.

4. Shoelaces and polish

9 Back to school essentials that probably aren't on your booklist

I cannot tell you how many time Immy snapped a shoelace last year well before her school shoes were worn out! And plain, black shoelaces of the right length were really hard to find. In fact, there was a period of at least a fortnight where she wore one bright purple shoelace from my sports shoes while I hunted everywhere for plain black replacement laces. My suggestion, stock up now on replacement laces, and shoe polish too if your child wears formal school shoes.

BIG W stocks a large range of school shoes, including Grosby’s leather shoes and sport shoes. Kids school shoes start from $8 and Grosby Leather School shoes start from $29. Plus I was excited to find a whole heap of shoelaces, both black and white, in both formal shoe and sport shoe styles and different lengths.

5. Hair stuff

9 Back to school essentials that probably aren't on your booklist

As I have shared previously, I am more than a little paranoid about head lice so tying Immy’s long hair back in a style that keeps it all close to her head is not optional. Scrunchies, ribbons and headbands makes the two plaits or braids each day a bit more tolerable for a certain six year old who would much prefer a more stylish up-do. I also use a leave in conditioner to help with the brushing and because I believe using some sort of hair product daily (and it could be a mousse, wax or spray, depending upon your child’s hair length and style) also helps in the fight against lice.

BIG W currently stocks a range of hair ties, clips, headbands and other accessories in common school colours with Scunci hair ties starting from $8 a pack I found maroon, green, blue, black and white at my local store.

6. Sun protection

9 Back to school essentials that probably aren't on your booklist

Heading back to school in the middle of summer makes daily sunscreen application so important. We include putting on sunscreen as part of our daily school morning routine. A sun hat that covers the face and neck is also essential for keeping kids safe as they play outdoors.

BIG W stocks St Marks Wide Brimmed School Hats in a range of common uniform colours for just $6.

7. A variety of snack food containers

9 Back to school essentials that probably aren't on your booklist

As the parent of a child who is not a fan of sandwiches, I am a huge fan of Nude Food Snack Tubes ($4.50 for a 3-pack) for packing a range of foods – I use them for everything from cherry tomatoes and carrot sticks to jelly and custard. However over the course of the year we always seem to lose a few of the containers so I always re-stock before school heads back. A new ice puck for our lunch bag and a new drink bottle (because, you know, Elsa!) and we are ready to lunch!

BIG W have a great range of lunch bags, boxes, drink bottles and snack containers in store in preparation for back to school. I even saw a lunch bag with sequins – oh my!

8. Tech vouchers

9 Back to school essentials that probably aren't on your booklist

If your child is required to have a device for school, don’t forget to grab a tech voucher so that you can pre-load any necessary programs and apps in preparation for heading back to school.

9. Homework supplies

9 Back to school essentials that probably aren't on your booklist

Making sure that you have a stash of stationary just for homework purposes has the potential to save you much after-school angst. We already have the basics in our homework box so while at BIG W I stocked up on a few super fun items that I am hoping will make homework time a little less of a struggle, including a mini blackboard, a pack of double ended pencils by Micador (which were just $2 for a pack of 12) and some scented mini pens and sharpeners.

Back to school essentials

With everything from lunch bags with bling to the latest electronic devices, as well as super low prices on all of your child’s stationery and uniform needs, BIG W helps take the pain out of shopping for Back to School essentials. Check out their latest Back to School catalogue here. And to celebrate the kids heading back to school, FOUR lucky Childhood 101 readers will each win a $100 gift voucher to spend with BIG W.

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Entry is simple. Leave a comment on this post in response to the following question;

What is your top tip for saving money at back to school time?

This is a game of skill and entries will be judged based on creativity and originality. Australian entrants only. One entry per IP address. Entries close 5PM AEDST, Thursday, 29th January 2014.

65 Comments

  1. My best money saving tip for back to school is to always buy good-quality supplies. You may spend more this month, but not having to replace school things throughout the year saves HEAPS in the long run. I’ve learned my lesson in buying cheap stuff – it never lasts! Good quality shoes, clothing and supplies – I love Crayola, Rio, and oh my goodness ONLY EVER USE CONTACT BRAND book covering!!!! – can deal with anything.

  2. My best tip is to prepare plenty of snacks that can be frozen in preparation for back to school. Muffins, slices, pikelets etc This helps me resist the urge to buy expensive (& often unhealthy) packaged snacks.

  3. My top tip is to label absolutely everything!!! If it’s not lost then I don’t need to rebuy it 🙂 Definitely A money saver.

  4. Karen hammen says:

    I shop around for the cheapest product as long as it does the same thing, it doesn’t have to be exactly the same that’s on the school list.

  5. I think rejuvenate and recycle would have to be up there! eg. Make that old Hoot bag an Elsa bag with a little ingenuity.

  6. SAVE MONEY, TIME AND SANITY…
    teach your kids that school lunch will be wholesome and healthy and specifically deigned for their energy needs at school. SO NO PACKETS OF JUNK FOOD. Get kids to vote on just 2-3 BASIC sandwich options (ie avo, cheese and vegemite etc. This will make shopping and preparing for school lunches each week EASY for you. And SAVE SAVE SAVE on buying all those pre-packaged snacks.

  7. Bulk buying groceries and making the same lunch for my three kids saves heaps instead of money. It also saves me from being a short order cook fielding specific demands!

  8. The best way to save money for school supplies, go through all the thing hrs that come home last year and see what you can re use: ruler, sharpener, library bag, pencil case and what ever else there may be. Teach your children that they do not always need new things, reduce, reuse and recycle. Cross all things you all ready have off your list and it will be amazing how much money you can get off your list. My other favourite time saver is making children sandwichs on the weekend and freezing them, when it come time to packing lunch boxes the sandwich helps keep lunch box cool and is ready to eat by lunch time.

  9. My top tip for saving money at back to school time is to leave the kids home when you go shopping!! 🙂

  10. As well as buying back to school stuff in the sales, I also buy presents to stock up the present cupboard. I like to put together creative packs with cute notebooks like these ones from Big W http://www.bigw.com.au/bigw-catalogues.html#view=product&itemId=7951138&saleId=7951&areaName= gel pens, highlighters, pencils, sharpeners etc. As I have two teenagers as well if iTunes cards are on sale I will stock up on them too as they are the current gift of choice for teenagers and it is always handy to have some in the cupboard.

  11. Check last years supplies before you buy no point buying new socks if you still have 10 pairs in good condition from last year, the same goes with shoes, drink bottles, sand which containers and hair accessories .

  12. Planning ahead, buying in bulk & reuse if possible ☺

  13. My top tip is to make a list of what you need before you go to the shop. Stick to your list so you don’t put extras in your basket and buy as high quality as you can afford so you’re not replacing them too quickly.

  14. buy in bulk as much as possible!

  15. My tip is to buy one of those sleeve book covers like Spencils or similar. Save you a lot of time when covering the kid’s books, no more fidgeting with contact . I also reuse them as it’s so easy to take them off and slip them on the new books. At $2 each, I think they’re very worth it and save my money, time, and sanity when covering books.

  16. My top money saving tip for back to school time is buy craft supplies and general stationery for around the home now, while it is all so easily available. Keep aside a few packs of pencils, some nice lunch boxes and some blank books for when you get that last minute birthday party notification from your kids, so you always have a present or 2 on hand.

  17. Don’t go overboard! You probably already have perfectly good lunch boxes, socks and pencils at home. Don’t get sucked in to the shops ‘back to school’ advertising spin.

  18. Cook up a couple of big batches of easy muffins and freeze them down – perfect for school lunches on days when you think there is nothing in the pantry!

  19. Mary Preston says:

    Preparation is key to saving money. Cook up a storm & fill the freezer, stock up on bargains, label like your life depends upon it. Rejuvenate, Reuse & Refuse.

  20. We find January a financially stressful month with the return to school following directly after Christmas. The best way to save money at this time is to buy things when you find them on special throughout the year and stash them in secret spot ready for the year ahead. Keep a list of all the supplies you will need for back to school with this stash and tick things off as you put them in. once the list is full, you can stop buying. Spreading out the costs throughout the year lessens the burden of the back to school rush.

  21. I have saved $450 on books and uniform for my first child starting high school by buying them secondhand from other parents on my local facebook school uniform and books buy swap and sell page. I also saved by scouting around the house for stationery we already had at home to make up most of the stationery list.

  22. Debbie Clark-Roberts says:

    Before going to the unifom shops, organise a clothing swap with your friends. Have your friends bring their to big or too small school clothes to the swap. Assign points for each item brought to the swap and trade sizes.

  23. My best money saving tip are : LABEL Everything ! Too often kids supplies can get mixed up with they’re classmates supplies – if its not labeled it could be good as gone ! Invest in your own “Label Maker” , I have a Brother P-Touch labeler & its Awesome ! Its so easy to use the kids make they’re own labels – which is a lot of fun for them as there is heaps of different fonts & pictures they can add to they’re labels to personalize them…buying your own labeler will work out to be cheaper than buying personalized labels online (they can be very pricey!$$). My kids usually get some school supplies at Christmas in they’re stockings (the good stuff from Smiggle) , saves me buying it come January & helps fill up the stockings (plus they love getting it !)

  24. With three kids at school and one at preschool this year, two of them needing laptops… January has become more expensive that Christmas! My best tip is to know what your kids like…. no point in buying skorts for my girls because they just won’t wear them! Better to spend money on the things they need and will actually use!

  25. My tip is ‘spend more to save more’. Allow me to explain:

    Spend more time comparing prices and shopping around
    Spend more time talking to other parents to get group deals
    Spend more time making & mending, rather than buying new
    Spend more time being organised and buying only required items

  26. We homeschool so this is a back to homeschool tip!
    Take advantage of all of the sales on at the beginning of the school year and stock up on art supplies, paper, and other stationary that you might use while they are cheap! I always fill our supply cupboard at this time and it saves me a ton of money.
    It’s also a great time to buy socks and jocks 🙂

  27. Nude food! It actually helps you to be healthier and you have an excuse to bypass all the expensive snack sized foods. Also good quality school shoes – they last until the end of the year (unless we have an unusually big growth spurt) and I can feel confident that they are supporting the kids feet.

  28. Simply buying Australian made quality products which last longer hence saving money.

  29. Leave back to school shopping until the very last minute as things get cheaper as it gets closer to school time. As much as this goes against the natural organiser in me, who likes to get it all done and dusted as soon as possible, I’ve found the later you leave it, the cheaper it gets.

  30. Label it all and more, in ways that can not be removed. Jumpers, socks, pencils, everything! Better to be safe than sorry, and this policy saves a fortune in the long run as I have learned from previous experience with others claiming your items as their own. I know this sounds bad, even take digital photo’s of your items, labelled too, so when they’re swiped, and re-labelled, you have proof with your hidden ingenuity to back you up, therefore save you dosh.

  31. My tip would be to write a list before heading to the shops and stick to the list.

    I love stationery and I see all types of wonderful bits and pieces at this time of the year that I’m tempted to buy even if I don’t ‘need’ them.

  32. vicki Hyam says:

    Buy some of the school items as Christmas presents either ffrom yourself or Santa. eg lunch box and backpack., shoes and socks, even some stationary supplies.

  33. The best advice is to buy quality items. The cheap and nasty ones never last the whole year, so it makes sense to buy a good quality product that will last the whole year through!

  34. Jaimi Layt says:

    What’s my best back to school money saving tip?
    COLLABORATION!!!! You can never underestimate the money saving ability of a group of Mums 🙂
    After meeting a amazing group of mothers when my eldest daughter attended Kindergarten, we decided that as the Kindy year ended…we would all help each other prepare for the start of Prep and #backtoschool for the year to come. Now, with only a few days to go till school begins…we are ready to go!!!
    @ We shopped around for the best bargains. Buying in bulk if need be to save money amongst the group.
    @ Bought bulk packs of beautifully made labels through online deal sites (like scoopon and bubbler). Making a saving of $$.
    @ Met for a Mama Bake group….the idea of Mama Bake is to form a group of mums, pick a bulk recipe each to bake or cook, meet in one mum’s kitchen and bake together while the children play! After we’ve all have fun cooking, we divvy up the goodies between all of us and we all go home with freezable lunch box treats, snacks and meals for the week. A great time saver, stress reliever and money saver.
    @ This was our first year of buying uniforms and after seeing the prices of them $$$ we all decided to hit the online sale sites and facebook forums. I saved $$$ a bought top quality uniforms from a mum online whose child attended prep last year….10 items in total for only $50.
    @ We also made our hair bows for the girls with cheap bulk hair elastics and ribbon. Saving $$.

    I think Mum’s are the true money saving superpower!

    1. Tanya Stevens says:

      love the idea of a Muma Bake group!

  35. I buy school products on special in bulk throughout the year, it can save so much money.I also reuse were i can and i also have a savings money jar with extra money put aside.

  36. Jacinta Otto says:

    Start early…buy extras when on special and don’t take the kids with you if you can help it…as school shopping tends to end up toy,clothing or anything else shopping…

  37. My money saving tip is to buy for next year in the before school sales. You can pick up items 1/2 price or even less – Glue sticks, coloured pencils, textas, lead pencils, etc.
    I also reuse&recycle as much as possible.
    And my ‘nifty’ fine tipped Permanet Marker works a treat for cheap & long lasting labeling

  38. Make sandwiches, slices, muffins etc. on the weekend and freeze them. Then each day you can just grab from the freezer to fill the box. Saves time and means money isn’t wasted on expensive canteen lunches and your little one is eating healthily.

  39. Amanda Gorton says:

    Do your own homework – RESEARCH!!! Browse junk mail and use the internet to get price comparisons before making a purchase. The beauty of living in the digital era is having a variety of resources at our fingertips to ensure we get THE BEST deal without the time consuming run-around of the past!

  40. Joy Lange says:

    Get lunch boxes ready by buying specials on snack items and do your book covering with brown paper and cut out favourite pics and sick them on they look good save heaps of money ……..go to sales and buy uniforms from friends who are selling or shops cause they always have sales thankyou

  41. Chantelle Hirjee says:

    We like to save money by recycling some of the school supplies from last year, there always seems to be a great abundance of left over stationary, some items not even used. Also a fun cooking day before school goes back, the kids choose what they’d like & we bake it together then freeze into play lunch portions. We have two teenagers who still love cooking day.

  42. Narelle Rock says:

    Make sure you thoroughly go through the books and items from the previous year and reuse what you can before going out to purchase more.

  43. Marcia Kani says:

    I shop for the cheapest product and I like to buy in bulk for all
    Of the school books and stationary, pens e.t.c. Also I recycle and re-use if
    Item is in good working order.

  44. Tanya Stevens says:

    Always check what fits or can be reused from last year before heading out to buy the school supplies. Check the school shoes fit, does the pencil case really need to be replaced or could it be used for another couple of terms. Make a list of everything needed cross off what you have and then go shopping. I usually look at the catalogues first for a bit of a memory jogger of what needs to be thought about prior to school shopping.

  45. Karishma Bundhooa says:

    Always buy good quality product. It will last forever then you can save as much as you can along the year without worrying to buy the same thing you bought last month!

  46. My top tip would be don’t buy into any hype. It’s easy to want a cute new design or a fancy texta pack but keeping it to the simple, reliable brands will pay off in the long run! 🙂
    Thanks for the opportunity 🙂 And great list – a couple of things I’d forgotten like new hair accessories!!

  47. My best tip would be to stock up on school supplies while they are easy to get and cheap. This makes refillingpencilcases mid term easier and cheaper

  48. sheridan leonard says:

    organisation! being organised at the start of the year is the best way at saving money. ensuring all supplies are bought when the sales are on and having plently of prepared snacks in the freezer

  49. Tash Wright says:

    Getting all your supplys at the big sales that are the year before, you always get a great bargain. Buying in bulk helps alot and putting everything into a organised pile will help when looking for your items.

  50. Cassandra says:

    My best back to school tip is ti “make” as much as you can!!
    – your (kids!) own artwork to go under the clear contact.
    – plenty of snacks that can be frozen
    – library bags, swim bags, chair bags, pencil case
    loads of fun too to do over the school holidays!!

  51. We homeschool, so I’m definitely saving money on back to school supplies 😉
    Seriously, we buy things when we need them and when they’re on offer, and buy lots from op-shops, even textbooks, it’s amazing what stuff people throw out! I order lots of things online when suppliers have free shipping or special offers, that way I’m not tempted into impulse buys like at the shops.

  52. Christine Robbins says:

    My top tip for saving money is to know your children and act accordingly.
    If your children lose their stationary and often need replacements, buy the cheap pencils and lots of them, if they are meticulous about looking after their things, spend a little more on the pencils so they last until they run out.
    Also, getting your children involved in making their lunches will mean far less wasted food. Empowering them with a budget friendly guided choice (eg. Would you like carrot or cucumber sticks in your snack cup?)

  53. Always buy things on sale, between the big shopping chains things are always going to be on sale one week or the other. If the vegemite is on sale, buy two. Also don’t be tempted by snacks size packets, buy the bulk size and fill up their nude containers. Cut of cubes of cheese instead of buying pre cut, that string cheese costs over $30 a kilo!! . Pay attention to the per 100g price at the supermarket, something’s seem cheap until you figure out what they really cost.
    I do this all year round and I don’t fall for the kids…”please, can we have that…” Tactics.

  54. Buy second hand uniforms, accept hand me downs in good condition. Even if you just keep as a spare 😉

  55. start buying stuff right after Christmas if you can so by the time school starts up you have everything and there’s no last minute panic

  56. Sonya Golding says:

    I like to stock up on socks, stationary like pencials, rubbers, glue, and lunch box containers when the Chirstmas toys sales are on as you can lay-by right up to christmas for the theses Iteams that you need in bulk. Save the buget at the beinging of the year as you can make small regular payment on the lay by. Plus I have my boys short through the things that they did not uses to see if we can use for the following school year level.As welI as get them to pick out the covers they like for their books. to make it more personal for them.

  57. Be organized! Time = Money! We’ve set up simple routines for the mornings and afternoons, found a place for everything, bags, homework etc…Less time wasted finding lunchboxes, pencils, sox and hats means more time to spend elsewhere (like in BIG W comparing the bargains!).

  58. My best tip is DON’T press that snooze button!! It only leads to tears & tantrums. Definitely not helpful on the 1st day back

  59. Best thing I did was buy school supplies during the year, the stuff was cheaper and we knew glues,books and the typical items woild be used. Get the kids to help make their lunch, they may actually eat it then.

  60. Tracy Yates says:

    First before you do anything go through your kids rooms for pencils sharpeners rubbers rulers and other usable stationary. Use your catalogues they always have cheap back to school stationary and the retailers are competing for your business research is the best way to save money . You can save a lot by bulk buying through the year you can have a supply to last you for a couple of years. When shopping remember the kids will be using them at school and sharing them with friends u don’t have to get the best of the best they don’t need fancy stationary as long as its on the list basic is good enough don’t go for cheap make sure the quality is still good otherwise its a waste of money and you will be spending more to replace the items. Uniforms are expensive so when buying a uniform buy it one/two sizes bigger so they last through to the end of the next year. If your on face book there are groups around all areas that give away free unwanted items you can leave a comment saying looking for new unused stationary and someone will help. You can also use the internet to save on school items and some sites do free shipping also helps with no petrol or transport fees

  61. jay kelly says:

    send them off with good homemade lunch not expensive canteen lunches..

  62. Jessica Woodrow says:

    I have 3 essential rules to go by:
    Plan and save ahead, we have a money box we can’t acess easily.
    Buy from the cheapest catalogue sales and stores and shop around to get the best deal.
    And lastly, go alone or with your partner an leave the kids at home or go while they are at school. It will save a lot of time and money (and possibly headaches).
    🙂

  63. JanIce Carroll says:

    this would be a huge help! Be organised and do stuff the night before so mornings are a bit easier

  64. heather Matchett says:

    I always look for bargains and i hit the back to school sales as soon as they start. This was you can save a fortune!

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