Back to school tips!

Ok, we know there is still several weeks to go before school's out for Summer but the holidays will go fast and before you know it the new school term will be just around the corner! New uniforms, P.E. kits, bags, lunch boxes, pens and pencils, the list is endless, so how do you budget for this?   

So let's start with the obvious. It's a good idea to put a little by each week and when back to school time comes around you have money saved. However, in the current economic climate with a hike in price increases this can be a difficult task. Many credit unions offer family saver loans and these can be a great solution if you are looking to spread the costs of back to school. Borrow up to £1200, when you arrange to have your child benefit paid into your credit union account. Easily re-pay your loan monthly with direct deductions from your child benefit allowance.

In addition credit unions offer Personal Loans, you choose the amount you need to borrow, and how long you’d like to pay it back over at fixed monthly repayments. Perfect for life’s little surprises. If you work for an eligible employer you can pay this off even easier with salary deducted repayments. 

Furthermore, you could open a savings account with your local credit union. Not only are you getting into a good habit, but you will be saving money that can be used in the future. Life is full of unexpected costs and charges, especially when you have children. Whether it’s new school shoes, dentist fees, or winter coats, it’s a good idea to start saving up to make sure you are covered.

To help with the costs of uniforms lots of cities now support families struggling with the cost of school uniform by providing free, good quality second-hand school uniforms.

You can request school uniform, clothing and shoes, by providing information about the items you need including gender, age clothes they are wearing and school colours. Parents can self-refer, and collect from various warehouses. To obtain details about organisations in your area it's worth checking out your local council website. 

For further details of your local credit union please click here.