Back to school is cool with the right financial advice

MBOMBELA – The festive season has ended and consumers face an onslaught of back-to-school specials.

Parents who splurged over this period will find themselves in a bit of a quandary when visiting stationery shops to fill up the dreaded stationery lists.

Surviving the back-to-school stationery rush without leaving a dent in the pocket can be made easy with these top tips from DirectAxis.

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• Do your homework:
  Most schools provide a list of the stationery and other supplies your child will need for the year. It is better to rely on this than to depend on your child, who may be tempted to include items they want, but are not really necessary.
• Do a supply sweep:
  Do an inventory of schoolbags and pencil cases. Although children like to get new pens and pencils, they may have supplies left over from the year before that are still perfectly usable.
• Work out a budget:
  Once you have inventoried stationery, books and uniforms, and ticked off everything that can be used again, work out a budget for what you will need to buy.
• Shop smart:
  Many schools have second-hand clothing stores and bookshops. These are a good place to start. Try to get in as early as you can so you get the pick of items that are in the best condition. If you can, focus on buying costly items that are not used that often, or that your child might soon outgrow, such as blazers.
• Keep saving:
  You can keep saving once school starts by continuing to be sensible with money. For example, it is usually more affordable and healthier to pack a school lunch than to give a child money to spend at a shop or tuck shop. It is also safer, because children carrying cash are a target for criminals and bullies.

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For more information and tips about how to better manage your money, visit: https://www.directaxis.co.za/make-a-plan/learn-how-to-manage-money