How criminally stupid am I that I didn't click to the fact that son will not only need new school shoes now his feet have grown, and Big School beckons, but also shoes to wear out of school. It had clean vanished from my head. I don't know what I was imagining he'd wear at weekends. Maybe the wellies, or Buzz Lightyear slippers. Leastways, even with my cheapskate buying techniques, the Back to School spend has been, well, expensive. I've purchased the minimum, but the minimum is a lot. Despite the school being a comprehensive, so no boater buying, the polo shirts and fleeces add up. Then there's the water bottle, the lunchbox (HOW much for a box?), the bag, the PE kit. All in all, I reckon i've spent the best part of 100 quid, putting me at about average, according to research. And that was before shoes.
The shoes that small boys (and girls) wear are not made as mortal shoes. No, they are made from the finest unicorn skin, heeled in Griffin scales and modelled so as to gift the wearer with the power to fly. As they slip on the shoes, they become magically endowed with the power to make money vanish from the moth eaten purses of parents. "Oh Mummy!" the bairns do cry, "these shoes are magnificent! Surely I will be top of the (overlarge and underfunded) class in these shiny and most drearily coloured feet coverings! Please buy them anon!" And Lo! The parent doth unclasp the purse, and wearily part with the best part of 50 quid for a pair of black Startrites. Before walking the walk of shame to the cheap shoe shop, to buy some trainers, for weekends, that are made, verily, from no natural substance, and will not repel rain. But are 10 quid.
If his feet grow before he's had a good 3 months out of them, i'll weep.
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3 comments:
I too have just had the financial trauma of the uniform shop,plus discovering that the youngest who is not yet at school also needed new shoe's 2 pairs of clarks one for son and one for daughter I too went to the cheap shoe shop and got a pair of weekend trainers for daughter ashamedly for a fiver!And just think it's not long til christmas and more demands!
You're so new to this! Start-rite have a factory shop in Norwich, there may be one closer to you. And all the other gubbins - Asda or Tesco value range. Last year's lunchbox was £2 with a water bottle included!
Their school uniforms are dirt cheap too. There is the ethical argument about slave labour wherever they are made but are the expensive shops any better than the supermarkets for human rights or do the middle men just make more money?
The only thing I don't compromise on is shoes, large boy has wide feet so we need decent shoes, but I've never paid more than £35. Small boy's Clarks were £10 in the sale.
Also, the school will sell 2nd hand uniforms very cheaply.
There isn't a grant for school uniform anymore so legally they can't enforce it. But most ordinary Primary schools don't insist on logoed clothes anyway (they recommend them but not compulsory) so I buy 1 logoed sweatshirt and the polos underneath are plain.
TBH his school clothes are cheaper than out-of-school clothes, just not as nice!
I've laernt lessons this time round to be sure! I did struggle to find trousers for him as he is wee and skinny, but we are now all done and fairly ready. Good tip about wholesalers Jo, i'm going to rummage around for one ready for the nest growth spurt!
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