Finance Round-up: Back to school

We are nearing the the end of October and the first half of the autumn term is behind us.  You would have thought we have got everything sorted for school now but for our blogging mums and dad we have found this isn’t the case. From the endless round of party invitations to the dreaded school dress-up days it seems the demands on our finances are never ending. On top of that we all have our everyday family lives to contend with. It’s to get some much needed advice.

One thing you need to know when your child starts school is the amount of party invitations your child will receive. Sometimes you feel as if you have a party every weekend. Not only does this take up a lot of your time but it costs a lot as well. From present buying to wrapping paper plus birthday card it all adds up and most of the time you barely know the child! Ricky at Skint Dad shares his tips on Children’s Birthday Party Etiquette.

Even if you manage to successfully navigate your way through the round of birthday parties through the year you can’t escape the cost of hosting your own child’s party. Kalpana from Mummy Money Matters has found out that parents are paying out on average £545 for the whole party extravaganza! To avoid such madness Kalpana has listed her ideas on How to save money on kids’ parties.

Hands up who hates making the packed lunches? Yep, after a few weeks of term day in and day out of ham sandwiches are deemed as boring but you can’t think of anything else to make. You could give in and opt for school lunches but with them costing around £2 a day they aren’t cheap. If you’re after frugal meals then the person to turn to is Thrifty Lesley. She has made a long list of ideas of How to feed a hulking teenager for 30p a head.

Currently my daughter is in the process of choosing a secondary school for next year. In many areas this is a bit of a lottery with parents not getting any of their three choices. If your child is changing schools next year there’s a lot more to consider than just the school’s academic record. Sara from Debt Camel goes through issues such as school uniforms and other costs such as trips and transport to school. She lists areas where you can save and how to get financial help.

One thing I am expecting at any moment from the kids’ school is the announcement of a dress-up day. One year I prepared in advance for Wood Book Day and got a Mary Poppins outfit sorted complete with homemade bag only for the school to cancel it three days before the event. This term I have seen kids in their animal prints for Stone Age day and my daughter did Greek day last term. To save you from expensive outfits Lyn at Mrs Money Penny has come up with some ideas on How to save money on school fancy dress.

My son has just finished two weeks of an active challenge at school where the children were encouraged to get to school by means other than coming in the car. We walk to school every day but this isn’t possible for everyone. With the pound falling against the Dollar the cost of petrol and diesel are at their highest for years. If you’re finding the school run is costing you more and more then Jayne at Maflingo has 30 tips for driving down the cost of motoring. 

The pressures on children are immense now and many of those problems stem from keeping up with what other children have. Once your child start school they start to become more aware of this as their friends talk about their toys, clothes and where they have been on holiday. Of course as parents we always want the best for our kids but are were doing the right thing for our children by buying them too much? Francesca at From Pennies to Pounds asks Is Parental Guilt Ruining Your Finances? Do you spent too much money on our children and not enough time? Are we building up more debt when our children are happy with the things they have already got?

Once your child reaches school age your childcare costs should go down considerably. There are still the 13+ weeks of school holidays to think about along with Inset days, teacher strikes and illness to consider. If you’re working and need childcare how do you pay for all of this? With two children still in nursery Aoife who blogs over at MayB Today has written a guest post for Emma Drew on the Secret to surviving childcare costs.

Financial planning for your children starts from the very beginning. Even before your first child is born you need to think about what you are going to spend on your newborn. Nicola at home in The Frugal Cottage goes through the things you need and what to avoid in How To Save Money When You Have A Baby.

One thing many people don’t realise is the amount of financial help that is available to parents. The difficult part is finding out what is due to you. These benefits are not automatically allocated so you have to put the claim in yourself. Eileen at Your Money Sorted has found that Nearly a third of people are missing out on Tax Credits. She goes through some of the benefits you could claim for. 

Do you find the costs of going to school expensive? What are your tips for keeping your family’s finances in check? If you want to feature in a future round-up please contact me via my Facebook page or on Twitter.