Learn how to cut uniform costs with our classy tips — plus, get a free fiver from our rewards club
NOW the children are back at school, have you been left with a big bill to pay off?
New research from credit card Marbles.com found the average cost of kitting out a kid for the new academic year is £205.99.
What’s more, maintaining their uniform and school equipment can add hundreds more throughout the year and often isn’t budgeted for.
To help ease the financial pressure, we present eight easy tricks to slash this expense and save you more than £100 a year.
1. Jumpers, skirt or trousers fading in the wash?
Add distilled white vinegar to your machine cycle to keep the colour.
Cost of hack: 39p
Cost without: £22.15, average cost of jumper and skirt/ trousers.
SAVING: £21.76
2. Blow-dry new shoes to break them in and avoid blisters.
Target tough areas like the heel.
Cost of hack: 1p for power
Cost without: £3.50 for blister plasters
SAVING: £3.49
3. Sprinkle baby powder on the underarms and collars of white shirts to stop stains.
Then add lemon juice to water to avoid discolouration or sweatmarks on shirts and PE kit.
Cost of hack: £2 for talc and bag of lemons
Cost without: £6 for one tub of Vanish Oxi Action.
SAVING: £4
4. Fix uniform buttons tightly and prevent rips by dabbing clear nail varnish on to buttons.
Cost of hack: £1.98 for clear nail varnish
Cost without: £8.50 for 5 x school shirts
SAVING: £6.52
5. Ladders in tights?
Prevent runs by spraying the material with hairspray.
Cost of hack: 59p, Extra Firm Hold Hairspray
Cost without: £8, 5 x pack of black tights
SAVING: £7.41
6. Zips stuck?
Unlock them and save an old school coat using a dab of Vaseline on a cotton bud.
Cost of hack: £2.40 for 200 cotton buds and 30g Vaseline
Cost without: £32.67, average school coat cost
SAVING: £30.27
7. Score with frugal football boots.
There are great quality second-hand boots available on eBay and Gumtree.
Cost of hack: £12.99 Mercurial boys’ boots secondhand (average)
Cost Without: £37.99 new Nike Mercurial boys’ boots
SAVING: £25
8. Pop a dry teabag in plimsolls or trainers after exercise to prevent smells.
Cost of hack: 74p for 20 Lemon teabags
Cost without: £3.50 Odour Eaters pack
SAVING: £2.76
TOTAL SAVINGS = £101.21
Fancy a free fiver?
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Our brilliant new rewards club, which launched this week, will pay back our most loyal readers.
What is Sun Savers? Here's everything you need to know about our new rewards club
To get you on your way, join today and we will put a bonus £1 in your Sun Savers wallet tomorrow. And the good news doesn’t stop with free cash.
With Sun Savers, we give you the best hacks, deals and tips to save money every single day.
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Sleep easy with mattress offer
SAVE BIG: Make a big saving in your sleep. Anti Allergy King Size Mattress Topper, was £36 now £11 at Tesco.
SAVE: £25
SAVE SMALL: Sniff out this deal. Sure Women Fragrance Collection Bright Aerosol Anti-Perspirant Deodorant 250ml, was £3.34 now £1.50 at Morrisons. Offer ends October 1.
SAVE: £1.84
Make dough on your pizza
MAKE your pizza pay with this offer. Get up to £15 cashback on a takeaway from Papa John’s.
Visit TopCashback.co.uk/ papa-johns by September 17.
- PRICES correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.
Pounds to the Post Office
ROUND £1 coins cease to be legal tender from October 15, but you don’t need to panic-raid your piggy bank.
You can still pay them into your bank account through any Post Office, even after the deadline.