7 ways to save on back to school essentials, as its revealed parents will spend £2.3 billion in 2024

Parents will spend £452.40 per child on back to school supplies, totalling £2.3 billion, according to new research. But while this number seems huge, there are ways you can keep the costs manageable as your kiddos return to school for the new academic year.

Mums and Dads who are wondering how long the summer holiday is are also likely to be preparing themselves for buying back to school supplies too. But with holiday childcare costs six per cent higher, it's no surprise that the back to school shopping bill might bring parents out in a cold sweat.

In fact, according to new research by retail marketing consultancy Gekko, back-to-school spending, including uniform, stationery and technology (like laptops and tablets), will set parents back an average of £452.40. Average spend will depend on the age of your child, with parents expected to spend roughly:

• £490.80 per primary school child
• £422.90 for secondary school kids
• £390.20 for college or sixth-form students.

The research goes on to say that 61 per cent of parents are worried about the cost of the items they need to buy ahead of the new school year, and that a third (33 per cent) of parents will draw on savings to cover the cost, while 29 per cent will use a credit card and nine per cent will borrow money from family to foot the bill. The data also found that 23 per cent of parents will need to buy a laptop or tablet for their child to have access to at home, spending an average of £511.40.

When it comes to buying tech like this, the research found that only 12 per cent of schools had suggested specific products for parents to buy, but that a whopping 46 per cent of parents were left completely at sea without any product suggestions or specifications to look out for.

Seven out of 10 parents (70 per cent) find it challenging to balance what their children need with what they want, with 25 per cent wanting to buy the latest tech for their kids, and 21 per cent concerned about the impact on their child if they choose entry level tech.

However, when it comes to buying tech for your child to use, there are ways you can keep the cost as low as possible:

1. Buy refurbished tech - websites like CeX, Dell Refurbished and Amazon Renewed, sell refurbished laptops, which can help you to keep costs under control. But it’s important to check that the tech comes with a decent warranty before buying.
2. Check out Amazon Warehouse - Amazon Warehouse is a part of the online giant's website where you can buy items that have previously been returned to Amazon. You get a clear indication of the quality of the item before you buy, so it's definitely worth a look if you are wanting to save some money on pricier items.
3. Use a cashback site - While you might have to pay full price for whatever tech you are buying, going through a cashback site, like TopCashback or Quidco, can help you earn some cashback to put back towards your family budget.

Other money-saving methods to remember when it comes to back to school shopping include:

1. Buying second hand where you can - check out websites like oldschooluniform.co.uk or uniformerly.co.uk to save on school uniforms
2. Use supermarkets for non-badged items - supermarkets like Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda and Aldi tend to offer non-branded school uniform basics for a great price
3. Look out for sales - M&S school uniform sale is now on, and could help you kit out your child for a fraction of the price, to help you cover the cost of more expensive school supplies elsewhere
4. Label everything - seasoned parents likely do this as standard, but for those who's kids are about to start school, make sure you stick your child's name on everything. That way if they misplace it, the items can hopefully be returned to you so you don't have to repurchase.

In other back to school news, we take a look at back to school traditions and reveal what parents are most looking forward to when their kids return to the classroom.