{"id":23877,"date":"2025-08-26T08:10:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T08:10:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/23877\/"},"modified":"2025-08-26T08:10:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T08:10:07","slug":"parents-of-triplets-struggle-with-back-to-school-costs-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/23877\/","title":{"rendered":"parents of triplets struggle with back-to-school costs \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sticking to a back-to-school budget can be hard, particularly for larger families, as Elizabeth and Padraic Nicholas, who have four sons \u2013 a set of six-year-old triplets and another boy of five \u2013 can attest. <\/p>\n

The children will all return to school on September 1st and their mother, who works as a senior medical scientist, says the cost is quite hard-hitting. <\/p>\n

\u201cStationery has been a huge cost as the list is quite extensive, and when you times it by four, the cost really adds up,\u201d she says. \u201cEach has their own list and all has to be labelled, which is very time-consuming, and requirements are very specific. <\/p>\n

\u201cThankfully, last year\u2019s uniforms can still be used this term, but it was very costly as the triplets require three of everything and we have to have a spare one in case anything gets lost or worn out. But our youngest, who is just starting school, will be reusing his older brothers\u2019 uniforms. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t have to buy schoolbags this year either [as they are being reused] but apart from that, unfortunately, there isn\u2019t much that can be passed down as the triplets don\u2019t have older siblings. <\/p>\n

\u201cBut the schoolbooks are free and for that we are extremely grateful as otherwise the price would be eye-watering.\u201d<\/p>\n

The mother-of-four \u2013 Padraig, Sean, Fionn and Odhran \u2013 says while she is unsure of what can be done to help parents deal with the cost, the situation \u201cdoes need to be looked at, with the possibility of a back-to-school allowance for larger families\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cEverything, even school activities like Halloween, sports day, World Book Day and school tours, are more expensive for bigger families,\u201d she says. \u201cOur school does its best to help alleviate costs, but it is getting more expensive, with some businesses taking advantage [by hiking up costs].\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ElizabethElizabeth and Padraic Nicholas with their four sons <\/p>\n

According to research commissioned by the Irish League of Credit Unions, 33 per cent of parents will get into debt trying to cover back-to-school costs and over a third will be unable to afford certain items on the back-to-school list.<\/p>\n

And more than half (60 per cent) of those surveyed by iReach say they are finding school costs a big financial burden as the average spend is \u20ac1,450 for primary school parents and \u20ac1,560 for secondary school parents.<\/p>\n

Paul Merriman, the chief executive of Fairstone Ireland and askpaul.ie<\/a>, says that costs can really add up, particularly if you have more than one child going back to school. <\/p>\n

\u201cCosts often climb above \u20ac1,000 per child, and by now many families are feeling the squeeze,\u201d he says. \u201cMy top tip is to plan ahead and stick to a list. It\u2019s so easy to feel the pressure to buy everything brand new, but most of the time you don\u2019t need to. Reuse what you can from last year, swap uniforms with other parents, and check local schoolbook rental schemes.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook out for bargains in discount stores and supermarkets, but don\u2019t buy more than you need \u2013 <\/b>set a spending limit and stick to it. Packing lunches at home and reviewing subscriptions or unused expenses can also free up extra cash. And if you find yourself relying on credit cards or loans for essentials, don\u2019t wait \u2013 seek financial advice early. The right guidance can protect your budget and reduce stress for the year ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ali Deasy is also a mother of four \u2013 a 10-year-old daughter and six-year-old triplet boys. Living in Dublin with her husband, Chris, she says that they probably spend \u20ac1,300 on school accessories alone \u2013 and that is without spending anything on books, as thankfully their school participates in the free schoolbooks scheme. <\/p>\n

[\u00a0Back to school costs: 20 ways to reduce the burdenOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

She says it is a very difficult time for a lot of people and more should be done to help. <\/p>\n

\u201cWith the cost of living rising, everyone is feeling the pinch,\u201d she says. \u201cI think this time of year can be especially daunting on a lot of families and be a huge cause of anxiety and stress for parents. If there was a back-to-school allowance for all families, any extra financial support would help to take a weight off \u2013 even a uniform allowance is one thing that would make life a little easier. <\/p>\n

\u201cMind you, if a uniform is mandatory to go to school, technically it should be provided under free education if you can\u2019t get that education without it \u2013 just a thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Lowe, aka The Money Doctor, says that while costs \u201ccan quickly add up, turning the start of school into a financial strain\u201d, there are ways in which parents can help mitigate the damage. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe first thing to do is create a budget and a list of needs, then stick to it to prevent impulse spending and keep your costs manageable,\u201d he says. \u201cCheck what supplies from last year can be used and try to time shopping trips around sales events as this can lead to substantial savings.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor items that are used in large quantities \u2013 like notebooks, pens or cleaning supplies \u2013 buying in bulk can be more economical. And when it comes to clothes, try shopping in outlet stores or thrift stores as well as using hand-me-downs or even borrowing. With regard to food, packed lunches are a budget-friendly alternative to school meals and snacks.\u201d<\/p>\n

The financial expert encourages limiting the amount of money spent on tech as children \u201cdo not need the latest model or high-end features\u201d. <\/p>\n

\u201cLook for refurbished or gently used devices, which are often significantly cheaper but still functional,\u201d he says. \u201cAlso, check if your school offers device loan programmes or discounts on software and internet services. Teaching children about money and involving them in the shopping process can help them understand value and make smarter choices.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eoghan Gavigan, certified financial planner and owner of Highfield Financial Planning, agrees and says planning ahead is vital. <\/p>\n

\u201cI recommend that people run a budget-saver account to take the pain out of large bills,\u201d he says. \u201cDivide the total by 12 and set up a standing order for this amount from your current account to your budget-saver account. You may have to make a lodgement at the start to bring the balance to a level which will sustain the large bills throughout the year, but you can work this out using a simple spreadsheet. <\/p>\n

\u201cAs bills arrive, discharge them using your credit card and transfer the relevant amount from the budget-saver account directly to your credit card. It might seem like a simple thing to do, but you\u2019ll never have to worry about large expenditures again. It will take the drama out of your current account and you won\u2019t have to have lean months at times of the year when you have large outgoings.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Lowe says that back-to-school shopping doesn\u2019t have to be a financial burden. <\/p>\n

\u201cWith a bit of planning, creativity and patience, families can significantly cut costs while ensuring children have everything they need for a successful year,\u201d he says. \u201cRemember, the goal is to balance affordability with quality \u2013 saving money doesn\u2019t mean sacrificing the essentials. By implementing simple ideas, you can start the school year on a positive financial note, easing stress and setting a great example for your children about responsible money management.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sticking to a back-to-school budget can be hard, particularly for larger families, as Elizabeth and Padraic Nicholas, who…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23878,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[79,18,2215,19,17],"class_list":{"0":"post-23877","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-eire","10":"tag-for-you","11":"tag-ie","12":"tag-ireland"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23877","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23877"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23877\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23878"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23877"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23877"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23877"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}