After the Christmas festivities, the New Year celebrations, the away-from-home summer vacations, South African parents face one more big drain on their pockets. At the beginning of each and every year, they have to fork out on the back-to-school supplies for their little ones.

Shopping for books, stationery, sports equipment and everything else a school-going child needs can be costly. There is no way to avoid the back-to-school expenses, but a little planning and preparation can help ease some of the financial stress. Here are some tips on how to survive the back-to-school expenditure:

• Carefully check your child’s school supplies from the previous school year to determine whether they can last one more term.
• Find out from the school what your child actually needs regarding stationery, maths sets, book covers and so on. Don’t waste money buying the wrong things.

• Make sure to get what the child needs, rather than what she or he wants. For example, many schools require that children have a tablet or a laptop, but that does not mean that you have to get the latest big brand-name model.
• To avoid the rush and crowds, shop online! Notebooks, stationery, pencil cases, backpacks and other necessities every school-age child needs are available on bidorbuy throughout the year. However, bidorbuy sellers take care to offer a greater variety of school-related items, often at discounted prices, around this time of the year.

And, finally, remember to include your children in the back-to-school shopping! Allow them to have a say in choosing their own backpack, lunchbox, pencil case and so on. That way, you will get them excited about starting a new grade.