How one mother bought all of her child’s school supplies for under $20 a pop.

Fellow parents, we are almost there. I mean the end of the school holidays. I know, right about now the novelty of having the kids at home has worn off and you’re probably counting down the days until they’re someone else’s problem… I mean, they’re off on another educational journey.

But there is one more hurdle we all need to make it through and that’s back to school shopping.

Sure you can drag your children around the shopping centre for hours in an attempt to cross everything off the list but there’s no need. Not when you can get everything in one place, and most of it, you don’t even need to leave the house for.

Here’s our pick of the best back to school bargains (all of which are available online- meaning you can get the back to school list checked off with a wine in hand!)

Exercise books, $0.50 each, Big W.

At this price, you can fill up your trolley and not worry about the total at the end of the expedition. These trusty exercise books are FIFTY cents. Seriously, fifty little cents! I bought some extras for at-home colouring.

My biggest tip? Do yourself a favour and buy more than one of everything. Trust me. The school stationery list might say something along the times of ‘one x glue stick’ but you and I both know your child will leave the lid off it somewhere between week one and four. I specified this time because this is also when the school projects are starting to happen and there’s nothing worse than a 9pm diorama-making session where you discover you have no glue for that solar system model. Buy a few and keep some in the cupboard in case of emergency.

Fill up the trolley. Image: supplied.

Printer, $19, Big W.

I’m new to the BYOD (bring your own device) situation this year but I do know that making sure you have working technology in the house is a biggie. There will be projects and homework to be printed. The good news for us parents is that we can pick up a printer for only $19 at Big W. It’s a one-stop shop so throw some ink and paper in the trolley at the same time.

BYOD friendly. Image: supplied.

Lexar 16GB USB, $7, Big W.

It’s also a good idea to have storage devices on hand for all of your child’s school work. I’ve always used Lexar ones so I know they are reliable and cost effective.

Always back up your work. Always. Image: supplied.

School shirt, $6, Big W.

I’ve been mentally adding up the cost of my child’s uniform in my head, having received the school uniform shop price list a few weeks earlier and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I could get an identical hat, socks and T-shirts from Big W for less than half the price.

Now I don’t have to keep washing the same two T-shirts every night to ensure clean clothes the next morning.

Better value that the school uniform shop. Image: supplied.

School Shoes, $12, Big W.

This was another biggie on the ‘starting school’ list. School shoes. I’d heard the stories. I needed to have at least $100 in my pocket for the school shoes, so again, imagine my surprise when I found I can pick some up for around $12 at Big W. I know my child is going to be the one who’s puddle jumping, ball kicking and feet dragging but at that price, I won’t be fretting about buying replacements.

Affordable. Image: supplied.

Smash 6 Piece Lunch Packs, $10, Big W.

They’re going to lose them. You know it. I know it. So don’t spend a fortune on expensive lunchbox options when you can pick up a Smash 6 piece lunch pack for $10 each. They’re perfect for lunch, morning tea and crunch and sip because they have everything that your child could need. There is a drink bottle, insulated bag to keep everything fresh and enough little containers to suit the menu. I’ve used these and the quality is fantastic.

Includes handy containers. Image: supplied.

Backpacks, $7, Big W.

My boys need a bag that is going to go the distance and not break the bank. If your children are similar, I’d suggest a look at the $7 backpacks from Big W. Durable and affordable.

Durable and affordable. Image: supplied.

How do you save money when preparing for back to school?

This post was written thanks to our brand partner Big W.