The Great 'Back To School' Hunt

kool-mumma

Ladysparkle and Jimsmum - Thank you both for taking the time to help me.

That's different prices to what I have found so will search their tomorrow.

You have been a big help.

pig_let_cool

Okay my turn

im 15 and basically do all my own B2S shopping

mum gave me £25 this year for bag,trousers and stationary.

Homebargains (spent under a £5) All basic stationary!

Pencil case- 19p (it was a holographic boobahs one but im still allowed to be childish!)
Pencils- 49p
notepads-99p
superman stationary set-49
pens-79p
fineliner pens-99p (like the staedlater ones that are like £12 for 12!)
and a few other bits n bobs like earasers and sharpeners

(and 2 bob the builder books for my lil brother xmas pressie at 99p!)


Wilkinsons (2.78p)

Spiderman wrapping paper- 79p (we have to cover our books)

a scientific calculator -1.99

++ There Were loads of kids bags reduced in there and i remember seeing BRATZ and a TMNT only for a few pounds each!

WHSmiths (1.99)

50pg Sketch pad!! half price!!-1.99 (was chuffed as i usualy spend a fiver for a decent pad like this)

Primark (£11)

2x Black trousers (£5 each!!!)(A bit better than the £30 of our proper retailer)

AND a bag reduced to a £1 (was green with stars going across! and i have plenty of bags i can use anyway so i dont mind to much if it breaks (last one i bought of a similar style lasted a good few months!!!)



Now i have £5 left to get Artist pencils and an A3 art portfolio!

Lol any one know where they have nice ones?

o and poundland had lots of stationary but i didnt get over there, and found lots in home bargains anyway!


Extra
++ i just bought a 1GB Memory stick/Flash drive for under £5 delivered! bought it out of my own money but its a pretty nice stripy design one (Vogue i think they said) found it at http://www.themp3station.co.uk/shop/
(found the site from another thread Found here)

Woodyrocks

I think you have done brilliantly p_l_c. Sure your mum is majorly impressed with you because I would be!

£5 for an art portfolio though - wow if you manage that I will be seriously impressed. Ebay maybe? or request one on freecycle??

the_other_mce

full-time-mum wrote: »

Slightly off topic but I have difficulty getting my DD (11) trousers.

She is tall for her age and although she is now getting a bit of a waist, because she is in 13/14 or sometimes even 14/15 sizes, they are too shaped. If they fit and hips waist and hips, they are too tight around her (perfectly normal sized) thighs. I am quite happy to take up the length if only I could get trousers that don't crease awkwardly around the crotch.

I also notice that most brands stop the adjustable waist bands at about 10/11 year sizes.

Anyone else out there with a similar problem and if so, have you found any brands that fit?

I had a similar problem this year - I found the trousers at ASDA perfect. They are made of stretchy material and cost £3 (:j ) for age 11/12 year olds. The material is nice and quite thick - colours available are black, light grey and dark grey. They are so nice that DD wanted some in another colour for out of school as well.
I'm really pleased with them - especially as it has been so hard to find trousers to fit her comfortably this year without adjusting them :T

paulow

I have found the boy's school trousers from ASDA (George) don't wash well as the hems seem to come undone (have to keep taking them back - it seems to be the black one's with the elasticated waist!)
Sainsbury's seem to be much better quality.

pig_let_cool

Woodyrocks wrote: »

I think you have done brilliantly p_l_c. Sure your mum is majorly impressed with you because I would be!

£5 for an art portfolio though - wow if you manage that I will be seriously impressed. Ebay maybe? or request one on freecycle??

lol thanks

actually she was annoyed i didnt get a "proper school bag" she just cant be pleased lol

and i saw a few portfolios in smiths so i will look there lol and i think poundland do pencils so i have £4 for a portfolio school usually sell cheap ones for £2 so i might have to get one of those, but hey i got everything else lol!

read1

I was pretty much in the same situation as p_l_c left to my own devices as to uniform wise hehe. I bought... (all from the trafford centre last week!)

1 H&M black fitted shirt £10
2 Pairs of black cigarette pants from gap, £40 down to £5 each (nearly had a seizure, these are amazing quality and were the ones in the s/s ads! )
School bag from topshop £2 down from £8 (and also on buy one get one free so got another shopper bag aswell) This is great! Its stripey and colourful really funky.
3 Highlighters from Mujis, £2 down to 25p each
A pen/pencil mechanical thingie also from Mujis, this was £6.99 down to 25p
Pencil pot also from mujis, black aluminimum £8 down to £1.25
Some mechanical pencils, 75% off at whsmith, with rubbers and leads spares, 74p for two.
Leather filofax personal organiser from PC World, Its the pocket finsbury I think, paid around £5 for it, retails at whsmith for £35! (this weren't from trafford, were from retail park in Hudds)

So thats me sorted.

charlottesmummy

I second BHS for large size (height and/or waist) trousers with elastic waist ands, nice quality and when I went in to get some more for my DD today they were in the sale qwith between 20% and 50% off.

they had black with elastic waist bands up to age 15.

the web site has them too.

these ones for example are junior, but start at £3.50 with elsticated waist

these ones go up to age 15 and the back is elasticated.

you do get a better range in store though.

these are just the ones I know for certain as Charlotte has some, but In store I noticed over half the trousers were elasticated.

RSAZ

Adams have an offer of buy 1 get 1 half price. Their trousers are good - 3 pairs lasted my comp age son all year! They also come in short standard and long length which is ideal if ur kids are funny shapes ) my son is standard waist for his age but only small in height, so I can either buy age with short leg or younger with long leg!

Michelle

This is probably the wrong thread, but my anger brimmeth over!:mad:
My daughter has just moved to high school and I have had to purchase a list of new items. The only place that the goods are available are from the extortionate school uniform shops. I have to question why I have to pay £32.50 for a blazer (M&S £18), £15 for two blouses (M&S £8 for two), £9.75 for one white polo shirt (Tesco £7 for three). All because they bear the school logo. The list goes on and on.....
I have asked my daughters school if it would be possible to purchase the embroidered badge bearing the logo (like was available when i was at school - many years ago ) Then we could buy a better quality jacket, blouse, polo shirt at sometimes half the price and then add the logo!
Does anyone else have any other suggestions? I know that some schools periodically have pre-owned uniform sales. This makes it possible to buy at a fraction of the new costs. Very often our children outgrow their clothes before they even show signs of wear. I am so cross that I am railroaded into buying from one store, and knowing that you have no choice but to use them offer really expensive items and frequently indifferent service.
I would love to know of other parents experiences as I am looking to try to change the enforced purchase of these overpriced and often inferior quality goods that we have to buy for our children at least at my daughters school!