Back to school: How to shop for supplies on a budget
We're well used to the rise in the cost of our bills and our everyday shopping by now, but what about some of those once-a-year purchases. As we gear up to send the children back to school, we're taking a look at some of the very best expert advice on how to shop for the new term while sticking to a budget. Here's finance guru Iona Bain.
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00:00 "Look out for every discount that's available. Lots of retailers should be offering discounts
00:09 if you're a pupil or a student right now. Take full advantage of those offers."
00:16 As the cost of living crisis continues to take its toll on families across the UK, British
00:21 parents said they're planning to do whatever they can to cut back and spend less on the
00:25 big back to school shop this year, according to a poll by Deloitte. It's thought that this
00:30 year targeted discounts, resale and pre-loved products will be increasing in popularity,
00:35 as parents strive to save their pennies as well as the planet.
00:39 "Be savvy about what you need to buy in terms of whether it has to be first hand, whether
00:47 it has to be brand new. Can you look at second hand? I think especially as a student, there
00:54 are lots of really great options in terms of refurbished technology. I got a refurbished
00:59 laptop just before I went to university and that saved me a lot of money and it worked
01:07 just as well as a brand new laptop would have done."
01:10 Buying pre-loved items may be able to save you up to 50% of the original item cost, but
01:15 not all refurbished items are created equal. Mark is head of refurbished technology at
01:21 eBay UK and explains how it works.
01:23 "So a refurbished item, effectively we have four grades. Certified refurbished, which
01:28 is our highest grade and that is approved or supplied by a manufacturer directly to
01:33 meet their own criteria. Then we've got excellent, very good and good. The functionality is still,
01:40 as you would get it, is normal. There's no change in the functionality, but you might
01:44 find cosmetic challenges or differences across each of each of the grading."
01:48 "And if there are any students who are in the process of studying at the moment and
01:52 they're finding their financial worries are weighing down on them a little bit, where
01:56 can they go for a bit of help with that?"
01:58 "In terms of actual specific financial support, again, universities these days do tend to
02:04 offer bursaries, grants and some universities in recent times have actually come out with
02:09 specific cost of living funds for students to help them through this particular time,
02:15 which is good to know."
02:16 And for those who haven't decided on next steps after school because of the cost, Iona
02:20 encourages potential students to consider distance learning to save.
02:24 "I think it kind of brings us back to why remote learning should absolutely be an option
02:29 that school leavers consider today. Because if you think about all the things that you
02:34 would save money on as a remote learner, whether that's accommodation costs, transport, the
02:41 kinds of expenses that you build up day to day living away from home, no wonder that
02:49 the CEBR found that the average saving would be up to £6,555. Now, that won't be true
02:55 of absolutely everybody, it depends on where you're based, what kind of job you do and
02:59 so on, but it just gives you an idea of the kind of savings that could be made."