School is expensive and if you have kids, it shouldn’t ever be something that you take out of your budget – even over the holidays.
You may be thinking that it is only December and school has just finished for the year, so why are we already going on about getting ready for next year? The truth is, school is expensive and if you have kids, it shouldn’t ever be something that you take out of your budget – even over the holidays. It is important to keep yourself prepared for all the costs that will start building up again in January.

This is why we have put together a basic guideline to help you figure out what to do with your funds next year.

Approximate school costs you will encounter

  1. School fees: between R5,000 – R100,000
  2. School uniform: between R700 – R10,000
  3. School shoes: between R200 – R500
  4. School bag: between R150 – R600
  5. Sports kit: between R500 – R5,000
  6. Stationery: between – R100 – R2,000
  7. Outings: between R50 – R5,000

Beat the back-to-school blues

  1. Take out an education policy before your child’s first birthday.
  2. Start an education trust. Ask family and friends to donate to the trust rather than buying gifts for your child. Alternatively, ask them to give gifts of stationery, school bags, etc.
  3. Save 5-10% of everything you earn from the birth of your first baby.
  4. Ask the school if you can come to some type of agreement that will allow for you to pay off the fees over a period of time rather than paying them all at once at the beginning of the year. Also see if you can get a discount if you have more than one child at the school.
  5. Most schools offer a second-hand school supplies shop, or a swap shop. This can become a cheap source of uniforms, sports kit and stationery.
  6. Look online for the cheapest prices in standard uniform items, like white shirts and grey socks.
  7. If your older children’s’ uniforms are still in good condition, pass them onto your younger kids. This will help you cut costs on at least one uniform.

Teach your children how to help you reduce costs

  1. Take them shopping with you so that they become aware of what things cost and where they fit within the family budget.
  2. If they want fancy stationery or expensive school bags, ask them to pay the difference above the standard price.
  3. If they’re careless and lose their sports kit or don’t take care of their stationery, make them bear the replacement costs one way or another, e.g., give them new soccer boots instead of the birthday gift they wanted. They’ll soon learn to appreciate and take care of their things.
  4. Children who take pride in their appearance tend to look after their clothes and shoes better, so teach them to polish their shoes and hang up items like blazers.
  5. Teach them to change out of their school uniforms and into “play” clothes the moment they get home from school so that they won’t ruin their uniforms.
  6. Reward older children who keep their school things in good condition – the added incentive will help them take proper care of their stuff