As a follow up to the BBC Radio Bristol interview I’ve just done – I know, I can’t believe it either – I want to give you a bit more information for my How To Save Money on School Uniform Guide. This post is set to go live whilst I’m on air so I could still be talking as you read this. I’m very nervous and hope it’s gone OK. I can only apologise for the amount of times I’ve said ummmm.
Arthur is starting school in September so this is all very new to me. I’m going into it the way I go into most things, by saving as much as I can in the process. But finding balance where possible. And hopefully not naively thinking that 3 sets of uniform will be enough for the week…
DOn’t Buy Logoed Items (where Possible)
Before I expand on this point I do understand that some schools require logoed/branded uniform so some people are limited where they can save here. However there has been a new law implemented to “limit” the number of logoed items required. And from September 2026 they’re going one step further to schools not being able to require more than 3 branded items for primary schools and 4 for secondary (including a tie). We’ve got a balance of logoed vs. non logoed for Arthur. I didn’t find his school uniform to be that costly (£5 for a t-shirt and £10 for a jumper) but still more than the £3 or £6 for two in Supermarkets. But with it being his first year at school I wanted to get some “special” logo bits.
Buy in Supermarkets and Wait for Offers
Supermarkets have school uniform offers at various times throughout the Summer Holidays. Some being as early as June so look out for these before purchasing. Most have 20% off with Tesco having 25% off. We bought Arthur’s school uniform at Sainsbury’s and with the discounts prices were as follows – £5.60 for 2 x grey trousers, £2.40 for 2 x white polos, £4.80 for 2 x jumpers, £4.80 for 2 x grey shorts, £2.40 for 5 pack of grey socks. Aldi and Lidl also do their “£5 school uniforms”.
Buy Shoes at Outlet Stores
Arthur has worn Clarks shoes since his first shoes but we’ve never paid full price for his shoes. They’ve been bought at various Clarks outlets or in Clarks sales, costing around £15 a pair. We bought his school shoes brand new on Facebook Marketplace for £10. They were new in the box with labels. We’ve just bought Rupert some new shoes for £13 reduced from £44 at our local Clarks Store. We bought Arthur’s school PE trainers for £7 in the Sainsbury’s sale.
Swap Shops/donation based sales
A lot of schools will have swap shops where you can donate uniform and swap it for a bigger size. There are also donation based sales – usually in school receptions or a school Summer fayres – where you can buy used uniform for a small donation/payment. You can also purchase uniform on Facebook Marketplace or Vinted.
Name all School uniform
Make sure to name all of the school uniform to save it getting lost and having to replace it. I’m the worst for this. I know our nursery curse us because we don’t name anything so we need to get better for school. This can be done with a name stamp, iron on, stitch in or simply written with permanent marker. We haven’t named any of Arthur’s clothes yet so I don’t have an option I would recommend.
Save on Stationery and Accessories
You don’t need to buy new each year, but I do remember the excitement of getting a new pencil case and stationary when I was younger. This can be bought at outlets or in sales. Swindon outlet for example has a Smiggle outlet which is fab, or places like Tiger Tiger or the Works. The Smiggle stores have up to 70% items after the school term starts too if you can hold off purchasing new for a couple of weeks. These sales are great for lunchboxes, water bottles and snack pots too.
Save on School Dinners and Milk
Not uniform as such but one worth mentioning is that in England school dinners are free until the end of Year 2. And milk is supplied free of charge until the child’s 5th Birthday. Make sure to make the most of these where you can as there’s a big saving to be had. The cost of school dinners can add up so after Year 2 it’s cheaper to supply packed lunches. You can read my How To Save Money on Your Food Shop Guide to find out how we feed a family of 4 for £40 a week.
Walk or Cycle to School
The cost of small journeys can add up over the week, sometimes more so than the bigger journeys, so if possible walk or cycle to school. If you live slightly further from the school you can drive half way and walk/scoot the other half. This will help get fresh air/exercise in the morning, as well as saving you money. And saving time looking for a parking space during the school drop off rush.
Safe Throughout The Year
Start a savings pot at the beginning of the Summer Holiday and put in just £1.90 a week. By the beginning of the following Summer Holiday you will have £100 which will cover uniform/shoes for 1 child – hopefully with some spare. You may need to up this for secondary school children as secondary school uniform can be slightly more expensive. If you save £4 a week this will be over £200 by the following school year.
I hope these tips have helped you slightly with the ever rising cost of school uniforms, and just general living costs. If you have any other hacks or tips then please let me know and I’ll add them to this guide. Remember you can find me on Instagram where I share more money saving tips, tricks and discounts.