Parenting

Rip-off cost of school uniforms and entertaining kids during summer holidays has left us broke


AFTER six weeks of keeping the kids entertained during the summer hols and kitting them out for a new school year, many parents feel BUST – Bankrupt Upon the Start of Term.

On average, parents spend nearly £1,000 occupying their kids during the summer break.

 Claire Dunwell has spent hundreds on sons Louie and Sam ahead of the new school term

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Claire Dunwell has spent hundreds on sons Louie and Sam ahead of the new school termCredit: Glen Minikin – The Sun

Include holidays and back-to-school gear and the sum soars.

Writer Claire Dunwell, 41, who is mum to Sam, 12, and Louie, nine, spent thousands this ­summer – borrowing overpaid money from her mortgage to pay for uniforms and PE kits.

Claire is married to chip shop owner Ian, 53, and lives in Wakefield, West Yorks.

She tells how the bills have mounted up.

 The family, from Ossett, West Yorkshire, had already forked out £4,800 on a holiday to Greece

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The family, from Ossett, West Yorkshire, had already forked out £4,800 on a holiday to GreeceCredit: Glen Minikin – The Sun

“THERE was a time when the kids loved nothing more than spending the school holidays elbow deep in soggy papier-mâché.

“Fast forward five years and a trip to Poundland to stock up on supplies followed by a picnic in the park on the way home simply won’t cut it.

“With Sam hitting his teens next month and Louie not far behind, the holidays cost an arm and a leg.

“Like many parents, I’d rather not think about how much we’ve spent.

“But hard facts need facing so borrowing my tweenie’s calculator, I work out I’ve spent £6,000 keeping my children fed, watered, clothed and ­entertained over summer.

‘FANTASTIC MEMORIES’

“That’s enough to buy that new front door or gorgeous kitchen I’m desperate for.

“And while the boys head back to school this week with their heads full of fantastic memories, my bank balance will be breathing a big, heavy sigh of relief.

 All the entertainment and back-to-school gear and prep cost Claire an extra £1,230

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All the entertainment and back-to-school gear and prep cost Claire an extra £1,230Credit: Glen Minikin – The Sun

“All this comes after we forked out £4,800 on our family holiday to Greece, which we had to go on in peak season because of school rules.

“The thought makes me want to regurgitate all the frozen margaritas I consumed and the all-inclusive buffet.

“Some might say we went OTT but this is the going rate for a family of four holidaying outside of term time.

“Of course, the memories were priceless — but there were still four weeks to fill back home.

Summer spend

  • Uniforms/school shoes: £250
  • Four-day caravan trip: £250
  • Day at the races: £100
  • Cinema trips: £100
  • Sports clubs/subs: £80
  • Fortnite (I am strict, too!):  £30
  • Back-to-school haircuts: £20
  • Stockeld Park adventure: £100
  • Outdoor swimming: £60
  • Extra food spend: £240
  • Total: £1,230

(And that’s without the holiday!)

“A survey by Cadbury’s Mini Bites found that day trips and the like cost around £150 a week. Yeah . . . and the rest. I started with good intentions, planning to set a weekly budget and stick to it.

“But the spreadsheet soon went out the window.

“There is only so much “I’m bored” this mum can take.

“The kids played out on their bikes and visited mates but when it came to the rest of their free time, I filled it.

 There's also all the extra-curricular activities to help kids' development that cost

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There’s also all the extra-curricular activities to help kids’ development that costCredit: Glen Minikin – The Sun

“Each cinema trip set me back £30, and a four-day caravan trip to the seaside cost £50 a day for lunch, drinks and ice cream. Not to mention being bled dry on the 2p slots in the amusements.

“There was also the £60 cost to visit an outdoor swimming centre. And a day out at Stockeld ­adventure park near Harrogate set me back around £100. Staying at home isn’t cheap either. Changing the name of an avatar on Fortnite costs almost a tenner and I forked out £240 extra on food for my two ­growing boys.

“I’m not frivolous with money and don’t spoil my kids.

“Teaching them the value of money is high on my list of parenting ­priorities and I constantly remind them how much things cost.

 Claire wants to offer her young sons the best memories before they hit adulthood

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Claire wants to offer her young sons the best memories before they hit adulthoodCredit: Glen Minikin – The Sun

“Pocket money isn’t handed to them on a plate either.

“We work hard for our wage, so they must earn it too.

“But everything just costs so damn much.

“Social media does not help either. Seeing picture-perfect family days out means we want to keep up with the Joneses, even though we know we can’t afford it.

“And then, a week before term starts — just when you think you’ve reached the finish line — it’s time to kit the kids out with new school gear.

‘WE WORK HARD’

“Uniforms are around £200 per child, £50 for new sports kits, and the same again for a fresh pair of trainers. And, of course, all the extra-curricular activities are back in full swing. So it is £45 for Louie’s football subs and £40 for his kickboxing every four weeks.

“I avoided racking up debt using the “borrow back” facility on my mortgage, which lets me recoup what I overpaid in the past few years. I managed to squirrel back £1,300, which really helped out. Many parents don’t have that luxury.

“A Children’s Society study found that nearly one in six families have to cut back on basic essentials, and one million get into debt, just to pay for uniforms.

“While researching this article, I discovered uniform banks are popping up around the country where you can exchange second-hand gear. I will certainly look into that next year.

“I will be cutting back over the next couple of months but the memories we made over the summer were worth every penny.

“We get just 18 summers with our kids before they hit adulthood. I want mine to remember the best.”

Coupon queen Maddy Tooke’s tips

STAY in good shape with these tips:

Look for free or discounted days out, such as museums, on sites like dayoutwiththekids.co.uk. Take a picnic to save on food.

Buy home, pet and travel insurance via comparethemarket.com to get two-for-one cinema tickets and meals out.

Sign up to supermarket sites for discounts on online orders. Sainsbury’s offers new customers £15 off when you spend £60 with a code from vouchercodes.co.uk.

Keep the kids entertained at home with Now TV. With no contract, you can cancel at any time. It is offering a seven-day free trial of either Sky Cinema, Entertainment or Kids TV, or a month’s trial of all three for £5.

Look for events to swap school uniform. If there isn’t one near you, talk to the school about organising one. It is a great way to get to know other parents.

Check out vouchercodes.co.uk and vouchercloud.com for money off stationery and sports equipment. The latter currently has 20 per cent off Adidas and 30 per cent off orders over £30 at The Works.

‘I stuck £2,000 on my credit cards’

SINGLE mum-of-two Georgie Bea, 32, has spent £6,000 ensuring her six-year-old twins TeddyRex and IvyBeau have the ­perfect summer and are kitted out with ­personalised gear for school. The beautician and student, from Hull, says:

“THE pressure from social media is intense. I see amazing holiday posts and am hit by pangs of guilt that my kids are missing out.

 Georgie Bea with her six-year old twins IveBeau and TeddyRexholiday and getting them ready for the new school term

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Georgie Bea with her six-year old twins IveBeau and TeddyRexholiday and getting them ready for the new school termCredit: Glen Minikin – The Sun

“I always ensure they have multiple holidays and day trips. This year I spent £2,000 on a five-night trip to Prague and £1,200 on a trip to London. We saw Matilda and School Of Rock, went to The Ivy, and saw all the sights.

“I took them to a holiday park at Sandy Bay in Northumberland, which was £1,200 by the time you add up all the activities, such as cheerleading and water-skiing.

“For the rest of the holidays we had days out like going to the Spice Girls concert.

 Single mum Georgie has spent a fortune over the summer holiday

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Single mum Georgie has spent a fortune over the summer holidayCredit: Glen Minikin – The Sun

“And I’ve spent £400 kitting each of them out for school with personalised stationery, lunch boxes and bags. My son has Doc Martin shoes and my daughter has Treds.

“It really does add up. I have £2,000 on credit cards to pay off and my student loan comes in next week so I’ll use that to juggle bills. I’ll work every hour possible to clear my debt.

“I don’t spend on myself but I am creating important memories for my family.”

‘I save £200 a month for school holidays’

MUM-OF-ONE Rebecca Sykes, 42, who lives with partner Arran, 48, a planning manager, and their son Lennie, 11, in Horbury, West Yorks, spent £3,710 over the summer. The ­education manager says:

“LENNIE is our only child and I want him to have the best memories from his ­childhood, even if it does break the bank.

“I save £200 a month for the rest of the year just to pay for the six-week holidays.

 Rebecca Sykes from Horbury, West Yorkshire, has spent hundreds on son Lennie

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Rebecca Sykes from Horbury, West Yorkshire, has spent hundreds on son LennieCredit: Glen Minikin – The Sun

“The money goes on holidays, day trips and school uniform. We had a £1,800 holiday abroad, a £1,000 camping holiday and Lennie got a new bike, which was £200.

“We paid for holiday clubs to cover childcare when both of us were at work. Lennie would have been bored doing arts and crafts, so I paid £30 a day for clubs which took him to a trampoline park and rugby camp.

“I work four days a week and often feel guilty putting Lennie in holiday clubs, so I want the days we spend together to be the best.

 Rebecca wants Lennie to remember all the fun they had together when he grows up

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Rebecca wants Lennie to remember all the fun they had together when he grows upCredit: Glen Minikin – The Sun

“I try to find free days out but even a trip to the local park costs a fiver in ice creams. Then, of course, there’s the uniform, £240, school locker, £35, and football subs of £150.

“When Lennie is older, he won’t remember how much everything cost. He will remember the fun we had and the memories we made which is all I want.”

British parents admit they feel pressure to make sure their child does better than them at school





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