The kid you hear playing the piano, he's not mine.
On top of the two weekly piano lessons and finger yoga, I give my son Smarty Pants vitamins to support his brain health.
Because while I'm supposed to say it's not a competition, of course, it's a fing competition.
Choose Smarty Pants, Vitamins to support your kids' brain health and help them master whatever their chopsticks may be.
Shop on Amazon, SmartyPantsVitamins.com, or at Target today.
Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile.
Now I was looking for fun ways to tell you that Mint's offer of unlimited premium wireless for 15 a month is back.
So I thought it would be fun if we made $15 bills.
But it turns out...
That's very illegal.
So there goes my big idea for the commercial.
Give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch.
Upfront payment of $45 for three month plan equivalent to $15 per month required.
New customer offer for first three months only.
Speed slow after 35 gigabytes if network's busy.
Taxes and fees extra.
See mintmobile.com How can I save money on back to school supplies?
Thanks for asking.
The start of any school year is always an emotionally charged time, whether you're a child or an adult.
But as a parent, that excitement can quickly turn into stress and anxiety when money is tight.
In July 2024, retail marketing consultancy Gecko reported that UK parents were set to shell out an average of £45240 per child on back-to-school supplies which combined, adds up to a whopping £23 billion at a national level.
Now, how much you need to spend on your child may depend on their age.
For college or sixth form students, the average is a relatively low £390, but for primary school parents it's as high as £490.
Still, back to school shopping doesn't have to break the bank.
Let's talk about some strategies to help you save money.
Well, no surprises really.
It's often technology products like laptops and tablets.
Many schools now expect children to have access to their own devices.
And parents who need to buy a laptop or tablet for their child are likely to see their spending reach over £500 in total.
Uniforms are another significant expense, particularly for primary school parents.
Stationary items are relatively lower in cost but also add up when you factor in all the notebooks pens, pencils and other accessories your child will need.
Schools are setting increasingly specific requirements for both uniforms and tech, leaving parents digging deeper and deeper into their pockets to meet the demands.
Understanding which items are the most costly can at least help you prioritise your spending and seek out savings where they're going to have the most impact.
It must be even harder in the middle of the cost of living crisis, mustn't it?
Indeed, that has made back to school shopping particularly challenging over the last year or two.
Nearly three quarters of parents surveyed by Gecko said that rising costs had made it much harder to afford the necessary supplies.
Many are worried about how they'll cover the costs, with some drawing on savings, while others are resorting to using a credit card or borrowing funds from their family.
Where are the best places to find discounts?
As the new school year approaches, many supermarkets offer seasonal promotions on school uniforms, stationery and even tech products.
For example, last week Sainsbury's had 20 off kids' clothing, but the promo only ran until Sunday, 26th August.
Keep an eye out for other similar sales.
Just like Sainsbury's, other stores like Tesco and Asda often have deals on uniform multi-packs, which can significantly reduce your overall costs.
Community sites like Freecycle and Freegal are also great resources for finding second-hand items, including tech products, at little to no cost.
The same goes for local Facebook groups.
Some parents also use cashback sites and loyalty programs to stretch their budget further.
There you have it.
Now you know how to save money on back to school supplies.
In under three minutes, we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines.
Listen along and you will really know for sure.
