Shopping expert's back-to-school tip makes uniform as cheap as £1.27 an item

With the summer holidays in full flow, families up and down the country are beginning the costly and time-consuming annual juggle of buying uniforms and other back-to-school essentials. According to Department for Education (DfE) figures, on average it costs an average of £442 to kit out a child for secondary school and £343 for primary school.

To tackle this, the government is addressing rising uniform costs in its proposed Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which will limit the number of branded - and therefore more expensive - items schools can put on the uniform list, allowing parents wiggle room to buy cheaper alternatives.

In recent years supermarket clothing lines like Tu at Sainsbury, George at Asda and F&F at Tesco have joined Matalan and other budget retailers in expanding their uniform ranges to compete with the higher prices of high street brands like M&S and Next. But a consumer expert has flagged a way to save even more on budget uniform, taking the price down to match Aldi’s sold-out £5 uniform bundle.

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Abigail Yearley, director at TopCashback, explained that while parents can often feel relief when children return to school in September, costs can quickly stack up and become ‘overwhelming.’ She added: “There’s often a long list of things to replace such as outgrown uniforms, broken stationery and worn-out shoes.

"Fortunately, back-to-school doesn’t have to cost a fortune. There are lots of savvy methods that can be used to save in the run up to the new school year, from using voucher codes and taking advantage of promotions, to shopping using a cashback website or second-hand to cut costs.”

TopCashback offers a percentage back on every qualifying spend year-round as well as a free £15 new member sign up for new customers. This can be used at most school uniform retailers including Tu at Sainsbury, George at Asda, F&F at Tesco, Matalan and M&S, meaning savings can quickly add up.

As an example, TopCashback members shopping at Tu could get a seven-piece uniform bundle consisting of two pairs of trousers (or two skirts ), three pairs of long sleeve school shirts and two V-neck jumpers for as little as £8.89 depending on size after cashback is paid. Per item that works out at the same price as Aldi’s hugely popular four piece uniform bundle.

Aldi’s uniform bundle goes viral every year and consists of four uniform staples sold for £5. However, while it’s widely considered to be the cheapest uniform option, it is only ever available in store in very early summer with this year’s launching in late June and selling out within hours as shoppers scrambled for the bargain.

As well as offering savings on uniform, TopCashback’s new member signup is available on other brands like Kickers for school shoes (where it can be used in conjunction with their up to 40% off school shoes sale) or The Works for stationery essentials - although the percentage of cashback earned alongside the £15 bonus will vary by shop. Shoppers must sign up via TopCashback’s new member link and then shop as normally to get the money back.

The brand’s Abigail Yearley has some other top tips on saving money this back to school season, including:

Make a list of 'must-buys' - and remember not everything needs to be bought now: Staggering spend is a great way to reduce its impact. Where possible, try holding out, as many items are put on sale once the school year starts.

Abigail explains: “It’s important to get first dibs on the bigger items such as schoolwear, but things like stationary bundles or tech can wait until the school year has begun or the days just before.” TopCashback’s Money Guide has a complete school checklist and even more savings tips for the new school year.

Make sure to shop around: Keep an eye out for discount codes or multibuy offers to maximise savings.

Don’t forget second-hand and pre-loved uniform: Often children grow out of clothes before they wear out. Many schools will have a shop of donated items to choose from and there’s online outlets from Uniformerly to eBay and Vinted as well as Facebook Marketplace.

Prepare for the unexpected: Growth spurts are inevitable with many retailers accounting for unpredicted changes. Clarks offer a fit guarantee on school shoes, making it simple to exchange up to three months after purchase if they are a tight squeeze. Asda, Tesco and Matalan also offer a 100 day guarantee, so if the quality or fit just isn’t right, you can return them and get a full refund.