It's back to
school time, and many parents are struggling and spending too much to buy
special supplies and stock up for multiple children. But it's possible to whittle
the back-to-school budget down with a few tricks. Kuwait Times spoke with
parents and teachers to learn more about smart hacks to minimize the cost of
sending children back to school.

Rania Draghmah, 29, mother of a 10-year-old son, said a plain notebook or
backpack costs much less than one decorated with popular cartoon characters.
"I have noticed that supplies that have famous characters, especially if
they are recently trending, will cost more than plain ones. The problem is that
my child wants to be like his friends and not go to school with boring
supplies. So I buy stickers and patches to decorate the supplies," she
said.

She adds that last year's backpack can be updated for the new school year
easily. "In my case, you can just remove the patches and replace them with
whatever new character the kids have now become obsessed with," Draghmah
told Kuwait Times

Another great way to level up a plain colored backpack is to have a positive
quote or saying embroidered on the backpack. Many tailoring shops can do this
easily. But be warned not to put children's names on their backpacks, as
strangers may use this to become familiar with kids waiting for the bus or
walking home.

Um Ali, 41, who has three children, said parents must not buy everything at once.
"Your children will not be using every single item on the list during
their first days at school. Sometimes I wait when the stores are trying to get
rid of excess stuff by holding sales. In the first days of the new school year,
things are expensive because they know we need them," she said.

She revealed she swaps school uniforms with friends and family. "Children
grow up quickly, so you are going to need several uniforms during their years
at school. Swapping with family and friends or even saving the old uniform for
your younger child will save you money," Um Ali said. "Also, I'm a
fan of handmade crafts. For example, last Ramadan I decorated the Girgian bags
that kids give to teachers and classmates. I do similar things for my younger
child to save money and make him more creative," she explained.

Um Talia, a 28-year-old teacher, told Kuwait Times that sometimes schools do
not need that many supplies. "The school is deceiving parents by
obligating them to buy too much. The truth is that the school does not need
them. They give us old supplies to use and stock the remaining at the
school," she said.

Alia Abdulraheem, 35, also a teacher, said she always checks for sales before
she shops for her children. "I buy school supplies from stores that are
running sales. They are always selling basics like crayons, folders and more
for less. Also, at 100-fils stores, you can find basic supplies like folders,
rulers, lunch bags and educational games cheaper than at popular stores,"
she noted. Abdulraheem added the best hack is to wait until after the school
year starts to stock up and buy supplies at clearance prices in larger
quantities.

Its also good to prioritize the items as most needed. Children usually need
notebooks and folders right away but some items won't be used until later in
the school year. If possible ask the teacher what supplies can be purchased at
a later date and if you can stagger sending in supplies a bit at a time so that
the children have what they need but you don't have to buy all of it at once.

By Faten Omar