Back to School: Conor Pope's guide to surviving the September squeeze
About this episode
Conor Pope discusses the financial challenges parents face during the back-to-school season and offers tips to manage costs.
Yes schoolbooks are now free and non-crested uniforms are more widely available, but there remains an unavoidable financial burden for parents every September. Digital devices, app fees, voluntary contributions, new shoes, extra-curricular activities… It all adds up to a very tight September. And it comes right after an expensive few months of summer camps, Gaeltacht stays and perhaps unpaid parental leave to cover gaps in childcare. Not to mention the fact that the September squeeze on parents of school-aged children comes just three pay cheques before the festive season and its associated outlays. In this episode of Better with Money, Pricewatch editor Conor Pope breaks down the biggest cost pressures of the Back to School period and how to mitigate against their impact. From auditing what you already have to buying refurbished tech with consumer protection, Conor has suggestions for how to shave a few hundred euro off the total bill and perhaps save your sanity in the process. He also recommends checking your eligibility for the Back to School Allowance on citizensinforamtion.ie and squirrelling away small amounts of money from January onwards. He’s thought of everything…
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