Latest news with #ShepherdsFriendly
The Irish Sun
12-08-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Parents are racing to a major store to snap up back to school essentials – & they bag a mega haul for under £10
Including the exact location where you can find the cut-price goodies at the store CLASS ACT Parents are racing to a major store to snap up back to school essentials – & they bag a mega haul for under £10 WHETHER your kid is heading to primary or secondary school in the next few weeks, sending the children back to the classroom isn't cheap. According to a report by financial provider Shepherds Friendly, the total cost for school uniform across your child's education can hit nearly £5,000 - while after school clubs, holiday childcare and school meals bump the cost up further. 2 Parents are racing to get their hands on cut-price pens, pencils - and more Credit: Getty Images - Getty 2 A major store has slashed the price of all the necessary back to school essentials Credit: Facebook This means millions of cash-strapped Brit parents are on the lookout for affordable ways to slash the expenses wherever possible - and now, one savvy shopper has come to the rescue with a purse-friendly buy. According to Samantha Scott, a major UK superstore has slashed the price of all the necessary back to school essentials - and you can bag a mega haul of stationery for under a tenner. So, if your little one keeps losing their pens, pencils and other school must-haves, you may wish to plan a trip to the nearest Tesco pronto. During her visit at the popular retailer, the lucky shopper got her hands on a huge variety of stationery, including pencils with eraser tips, pastel ballpoint pens, sharpies and more. read more on parenting NAME GAME Top 100 baby names revealed and Muhammad tops the list… is your tot's on there? Showing off the incredible haul on Facebook, Samantha said: ''Stationery all reduced in Tesco. ''Less than £10 for all this.'' In the post, Samantha - one of the 2.6million members of the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK group - revealed she had also purchased cut-price finger paint set, Tipp-Ex, several sticky tapes and neon sticky notes. Other wallet-friendly bargains in the epic sale also included glue sticks and colourful highlighters. In total, the Tesco customer had bagged more than 30 different items for the bargain deal of less than £10. According to Samantha, fellow shoppers can find the jaw-dropping price reductions in the general aisle - and not near the back to school shelves. Amazing Back-to-School Deals You Can't Miss! She went on in the comments: ''Some items were on the original shelfs with yellow stickers the rest were just marked down on the shelf.'' Uploaded less than 24 hours ago, the post has already taken the internet by storm, winning Samantha a whopping 1.3k likes. Keen to snap up the goodies, more than 300 members of the page flooded to comments, where many tagged their friends and family. I've only ever bought one jumper and a shirt Janine McDonald uses swaps and local community resources to find school uniform for her two daughters – now 13 and 15. They're both in different schools, with different uniform, but Janine, who is a single mum, has limited the expense by swapping and finding donated items to fit both girls. She says: 'At both schools, they have a pre-loved uniform section, so you can go in and either swap something or buy it for just literally a couple of pounds.' In Manchester where Janine lives there are Gateway centres which are a 'one-stop-shop' for a wide range of council and community services. She added: 'The local gateway hubs hold a uniform Donation Point so you can just drop off any uniform there, and then anybody is free just to come and have a look and take anything that they need. 'I find they last absolutely fine, so I don't need to buy new. "I reckon that has saved me a couple of hundred pounds for each child.' Janine, who has taken her recycling expertise and turned it into a decluttering business Clear the Clutter Now, says that setting up or joining a community WhatsApp group is another way to get cheap uniform. The mum explains: 'In the streets around where I live at the end of the school year, we'll put on there, whatever age trousers we've got from whichever school, and then people just give them to each other.' She recommends that parents, as well as looking for free uniform, take school uniform lists with a pinch of salt. 'You get the uniform list, and sometimes it recommends, five pairs of trousers, or X number of this, X number of that,' she says. 'Realistically, you don't need that many. "You can always buy one to start with and top up if needed.' One cried after realising they had paid the full price: ''We shopped to soon.'' ''Love a bargain,'' someone else chimed in. A third exclaimed: ''OH MY GOOD LORD, I AM GOING TO END UP LIKE A KID IN A CANDY SHOP! THANKS FOR THE POST!'' A fourth warned: ''Not reduced in Coventry today but fab bargain if they are in your area.'' ''Cost me 35 pound for my kids,'' a mum had seen the post too late.
Scottish Sun
12-08-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Parents are racing to a major store to snap up back to school essentials – & they bag a mega haul for under £10
Including the exact location where you can find the cut-price goodies at the store CLASS ACT Parents are racing to a major store to snap up back to school essentials – & they bag a mega haul for under £10 Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WHETHER your kid is heading to primary or secondary school in the next few weeks, sending the children back to the classroom isn't cheap. According to a report by financial provider Shepherds Friendly, the total cost for school uniform across your child's education can hit nearly £5,000 - while after school clubs, holiday childcare and school meals bump the cost up further. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Parents are racing to get their hands on cut-price pens, pencils - and more Credit: Getty Images - Getty 2 A major store has slashed the price of all the necessary back to school essentials Credit: Facebook This means millions of cash-strapped Brit parents are on the lookout for affordable ways to slash the expenses wherever possible - and now, one savvy shopper has come to the rescue with a purse-friendly buy. According to Samantha Scott, a major UK superstore has slashed the price of all the necessary back to school essentials - and you can bag a mega haul of stationery for under a tenner. So, if your little one keeps losing their pens, pencils and other school must-haves, you may wish to plan a trip to the nearest Tesco pronto. During her visit at the popular retailer, the lucky shopper got her hands on a huge variety of stationery, including pencils with eraser tips, pastel ballpoint pens, sharpies and more. Showing off the incredible haul on Facebook, Samantha said: ''Stationery all reduced in Tesco. ''Less than £10 for all this.'' In the post, Samantha - one of the 2.6million members of the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK group - revealed she had also purchased cut-price finger paint set, Tipp-Ex, several sticky tapes and neon sticky notes. Other wallet-friendly bargains in the epic sale also included glue sticks and colourful highlighters. In total, the Tesco customer had bagged more than 30 different items for the bargain deal of less than £10. According to Samantha, fellow shoppers can find the jaw-dropping price reductions in the general aisle - and not near the back to school shelves. Amazing Back-to-School Deals You Can't Miss! She went on in the comments: ''Some items were on the original shelfs with yellow stickers the rest were just marked down on the shelf.'' Uploaded less than 24 hours ago, the post has already taken the internet by storm, winning Samantha a whopping 1.3k likes. Keen to snap up the goodies, more than 300 members of the page flooded to comments, where many tagged their friends and family. I've only ever bought one jumper and a shirt Janine McDonald uses swaps and local community resources to find school uniform for her two daughters – now 13 and 15. They're both in different schools, with different uniform, but Janine, who is a single mum, has limited the expense by swapping and finding donated items to fit both girls. She says: 'At both schools, they have a pre-loved uniform section, so you can go in and either swap something or buy it for just literally a couple of pounds.' In Manchester where Janine lives there are Gateway centres which are a 'one-stop-shop' for a wide range of council and community services. She added: 'The local gateway hubs hold a uniform Donation Point so you can just drop off any uniform there, and then anybody is free just to come and have a look and take anything that they need. 'I find they last absolutely fine, so I don't need to buy new. "I reckon that has saved me a couple of hundred pounds for each child.' Janine, who has taken her recycling expertise and turned it into a decluttering business Clear the Clutter Now, says that setting up or joining a community WhatsApp group is another way to get cheap uniform. The mum explains: 'In the streets around where I live at the end of the school year, we'll put on there, whatever age trousers we've got from whichever school, and then people just give them to each other.' She recommends that parents, as well as looking for free uniform, take school uniform lists with a pinch of salt. 'You get the uniform list, and sometimes it recommends, five pairs of trousers, or X number of this, X number of that,' she says. 'Realistically, you don't need that many. "You can always buy one to start with and top up if needed.' One cried after realising they had paid the full price: ''We shopped to soon.'' ''Love a bargain,'' someone else chimed in. A third exclaimed: ''OH MY GOOD LORD, I AM GOING TO END UP LIKE A KID IN A CANDY SHOP! THANKS FOR THE POST!'' A fourth warned: ''Not reduced in Coventry today but fab bargain if they are in your area.'' ''Cost me 35 pound for my kids,'' a mum had seen the post too late.
The Sun
12-08-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Parents are racing to a major store to snap up back to school essentials – & they bag a mega haul for under £10
WHETHER your kid is heading to primary or secondary school in the next few weeks, sending the children back to the classroom isn't cheap. According to a report by financial provider Shepherds Friendly, the total cost for school uniform across your child's education can hit nearly £5,000 - while after school clubs, holiday childcare and school meals bump the cost up further. 2 2 This means millions of cash-strapped Brit parents are on the lookout for affordable ways to slash the expenses wherever possible - and now, one savvy shopper has come to the rescue with a purse-friendly buy. According to Samantha Scott, a major UK superstore has slashed the price of all the necessary back to school essentials - and you can bag a mega haul of stationery for under a tenner. So, if your little one keeps losing their pens, pencils and other school must-haves, you may wish to plan a trip to the nearest Tesco pronto. During her visit at the popular retailer, the lucky shopper got her hands on a huge variety of stationery, including pencils with eraser tips, pastel ballpoint pens, sharpies and more. Showing off the incredible haul on Facebook, Samantha said: ''Stationery all reduced in Tesco. In the post, Samantha - one of the 2.6million members of the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK group - revealed she had also purchased cut-price finger paint set, Tipp-Ex, several sticky tapes and neon sticky notes. Other wallet-friendly bargains in the epic sale also included glue sticks and colourful highlighters. In total, the Tesco customer had bagged more than 30 different items for the bargain deal of less than £10. According to Samantha, fellow shoppers can find the jaw-dropping price reductions in the general aisle - and not near the back to school shelves. Amazing Back-to-School Deals You Can't Miss! She went on in the comments: ''Some items were on the original shelfs with yellow stickers the rest were just marked down on the shelf.'' Uploaded less than 24 hours ago, the post has already taken the internet by storm, winning Samantha a whopping 1.3k likes. Keen to snap up the goodies, more than 300 members of the page flooded to comments, where many tagged their friends and family. I've only ever bought one jumper and a shirt Janine McDonald uses swaps and local community resources to find school uniform for her two daughters – now 13 and 15. They're both in different schools, with different uniform, but Janine, who is a single mum, has limited the expense by swapping and finding donated items to fit both girls. She says: 'At both schools, they have a pre-loved uniform section, so you can go in and either swap something or buy it for just literally a couple of pounds.' In Manchester where Janine lives there are Gateway centres which are a 'one-stop-shop' for a wide range of council and community services. She added: 'The local gateway hubs hold a uniform Donation Point so you can just drop off any uniform there, and then anybody is free just to come and have a look and take anything that they need. 'I find they last absolutely fine, so I don't need to buy new. "I reckon that has saved me a couple of hundred pounds for each child.' Janine, who has taken her recycling expertise and turned it into a decluttering business Clear the Clutter Now, says that setting up or joining a community WhatsApp group is another way to get cheap uniform. The mum explains: 'In the streets around where I live at the end of the school year, we'll put on there, whatever age trousers we've got from whichever school, and then people just give them to each other.' She recommends that parents, as well as looking for free uniform, take school uniform lists with a pinch of salt. 'You get the uniform list, and sometimes it recommends, five pairs of trousers, or X number of this, X number of that,' she says. 'Realistically, you don't need that many. "You can always buy one to start with and top up if needed.' One cried after realising they had paid the full price: ''We shopped to soon.'' ''Love a bargain,'' someone else chimed in. ''Cost me 35 pound for my kids,'' a mum had seen the post too late.
The Sun
07-08-2025
- General
- The Sun
The 7 things you can get for FREE when your kids start school worth £4k – including transport and wrap-around care
WHETHER your child is heading to primary or secondary school in the autumn, sending the kids back to the classroom isn't cheap. Here, money expert Rosie Murray-West reveals seven things you can get for free ahead of your little ones starting school - and you could save up to £4,000. 1 The total cost for school uniform across your child's education can hit nearly £5,000, while after school clubs, holiday childcare and school meals bump the cost up further, according to a report by financial provider Shepherds Friendly. Fortunately, there are many things you can get for nothing at all, or just a few pence, that can help ease the financial burden. Here's how you can save thousands... School uniform Shepherds Friendly calculates that school uniform for the primary school years costs £2,470 and secondary £2,408. If your income is low, you may be able to get a grant towards the cost. These grants, sometimes limited to certain year groups, can be as much as £200. It's a postcode lottery over what your council offers, but often if you fit the criteria for free school meals you could get a uniform grant too. If you live in England, contact your council to see what's available. In Wales, all councils should offer £200 towards uniform for eligible students, while in Scotland it is at least £120. If you don't qualify, or your council doesn't offer help, check with the school itself as they may have a voucher scheme. Finally, joining the school parent Facebook page and checking on giveaway websites such as Olio may yield free uniform, while schools often hold second-hand sales selling uniform for pennies. The government is also limiting schools on how much expensive uniform they are allowed to require parents to buy. That means limiting branded items and trying to provide cheaper alternatives like iron-on badges. If you feel your school uniform is too expensive you can complain to the governing body. Morning breakfast clubs The government is rolling out free breakfast clubs in every primary school in England, offering half an hour of free childcare as well as food. It will take some time for these to be in every school, but once they are the government calculates they will save parents up to £450 a year. You can find a list of the first schools to offer the clubs on the government website. You can also check with your child's school when they plan to run the clubs. Free school lunches Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 automatically get free lunches in England, while those in London receive free lunches for the entire of primary school. The London Assembly calculates that this saves families £500 a year per child. If you're outside London and your children are older, they can still get free meals if you're in receipt of certain benefits and earn below an income threshold. You can check eligibility on the government website and apply through your local council. Even if your child receives universal free meals, it is still worth applying for this as your school will get more money for your child, and you'll also be eligible for other funding such as free holiday clubs and uniform grants. Free and tax-free holiday childcare Children in receipt of free school meals can get free childcare in the holidays from the Holidays Activity Fund (HAF). This childcare, funded by the government, should offer at least four hours of activities a day for six weeks a year and should include at least one meal a day. Councils can open this provision to vulnerable children, so if you think your family could benefit and you have children with special needs, are on a low-income or have other vulnerabilities then do speak to your school. If you aren't eligible for HAF, tax-free childcare can take down the cost of childminders or clubs. This is worth up to £2,000 a year, depending on how much you spend on childcare, and you can apply for this if you earn under £100,000, are working and do not receive Universal Credit. To access this your child must be under 11 (or 16 with a disability). I've only ever bought one jumper and a shirt Janine McDonald uses swaps and local community resources to find school uniform for her two daughters – now 13 and 15. They're both in different schools, with different uniform, but Janine, who is a single mum, has limited the expense by swapping and finding donated items to fit both girls. She says: 'At both schools, they have a pre-loved uniform section, so you can go in and either swap something or buy it for just literally a couple of pounds.' In Manchester where Janine lives there are Gateway centres which are a 'one-stop-shop' for a wide range of council and community services. She added: 'The local gateway hubs hold a uniform Donation Point so you can just drop off any uniform there, and then anybody is free just to come and have a look and take anything that they need. 'I find they last absolutely fine, so I don't need to buy new. "I reckon that has saved me a couple of hundred pounds for each child.' Janine, who has taken her recycling expertise and turned it into a decluttering business Clear the Clutter Now, says that setting up or joining a community WhatsApp group is another way to get cheap uniform. The mum explains: 'In the streets around where I live at the end of the school year, we'll put on there, whatever age trousers we've got from whichever school, and then people just give them to each other.' She recommends that parents, as well as looking for free uniform, take school uniform lists with a pinch of salt. 'You get the uniform list, and sometimes it recommends, five pairs of trousers, or X number of this, X number of that,' she says. 'Realistically, you don't need that many. "You can always buy one to start with and top up if needed.' Transport to school If you've been allocated a school that's far from home you may qualify for free school transport, particularly if you are also eligible for free school meals. Everyone is entitled to free school transport if their child goes to the nearest suitable school and that school is: More than two miles away and the child is under 8 More than three miles away and the child is 8 or over There's no safe walking route between their home and school They cannot walk there because of a mobility problem or SEN If your child is eligible for free school meals the criteria are slightly wider. Your child may be eligible for free school transport if the school is: At least two miles away and they are aged 8-11 and it is their nearest school Between two and six miles away if it is one of their three nearest suitable schools and they are aged 11-16 Between 2-15 miles away if they are aged 11-16 and you chose the school because of your religion or belief Check your local council website on how to apply if this fits your family. You may be paid a 'personal travel budget' to get your children there yourself, or you may be offered taxis or buses. If there is sufficient public transport, your child will be given a bus pass. In some areas all school age children get free public transport – bus travel is free for teens up to 18 in London with a Zip card, for example. In other areas secondary school children can apply for a pass to take down the cost of transport. For example, in Kent, the Travel Saver saves 50%. Learning resources Paying for expensive tuition sites or one-to-one tutors can add up, but you can use the following sites for nothing to help your children learn. Oak Academy Free online lessons funded by the government BBC Bitesize Learning aligned to all curriculum stages from our national broadcaster Seneca A free learning platform for all curriculum stages with online quizzes Saving: Depends on usage Extracurricular activities Dance, sport, and music can add up, with the cost of a £20 half-hour music lesson ten times a term coming in at hundreds of pounds. But some extra curricular activities are available for free or very cheap. These volunteer activities can cost as little as £50 a year and may have grants for low income families Music lessons Schools and local councils offer music lessons for free to many low-income children, so if you are on free school meals you may find your child gets free music lessons in school. Or contact your local council music hub for more details. Exceptionally talented children in music and dance may get means-tested funding through the Government's Music & Dance Scheme to attend Saturday schools or ballet or music specialist schools.
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
£529 to invest? This FTSE 100 ‘cheat code' share could make investors a million
The UK's most active investors — those aged between 25 and 34 — save £529 on average per month. That's according to investments provider Shepherds Friendly. With this sort of sum, I think it's realistic to target a million-pound portfolio with FTSE 100 shares. Since 2015, the Footsie's delivered an average annual return of 7%. And, in recent days, it's touched new record highs. But I believe buying individual blue-chip stocks is the most effective way to build long-term wealth. There's no such thing as a 'sure thing' in investing. However, this FTSE 100 growth share has proved to be a terrific 'cheat code' for long-term investors looking to supercharge their portfolios. And I think it will remain an exceptional wealth creator. If its performance since 2015 continues, a £529 monthly investment each month will create a portfolio worth £1,022,797 just over 10 years from now. I wouldn't just hold one share in my portfolio, given the high risk that comes with a lack of diversification. But here's why I think buying this company as part of a balanced portfolio demands consideraton. Jaw-dropping return Games Workshop's (LSE:GAW) delivered a stunning annual return of 42.9% over the past decade. The products might not be to everyone's tastes. But the exceptional capital gains it's produced make it hard to ignore. In a nutshell, the company designs, manufactures, and sells miniatures and tabletop games systems, chiefly under the Warhammer brand. Other products include paints, dice, and books that bring its products and the associated lore to life. This is clearly a niche industry. But it's a vast one — today Games Workshop has hundreds of stores and a distribution network spanning the globe — and it's still growing rapidly as the fantasy gaming genre enters new markets. The FTSE company had revenues of £119.1m a decade ago. That's since ballooned to £617.5m today. There are two other reasons why I like Games Workshop shares. It is the market leader, and enjoys spectacular margins as a result (core gross margin was 69.5%, latest financials show). And the business is stepping up licencing of its highly popular intellectual property (IP) to help drive future growth, including a blockbuster TV and film deal with Amazon. Growth powerhouse Like any UK share, Games Workshop faces obstacles it'll need to overcome in the years ahead to keep delivering delicious returns. One is the problem of mounting competition as other games companies try to steal in on its markets. Adding to this, there's also been substantial growth in the counterfeit market, fuelled by the rapid rise of 3D printing. But so far, the premium quality of Games Workshop's product — and aggressive moves to protect its IP — have helped it stay ahead of the curve. These twin factors explain why City analysts remain confident in the company's long-term profits outlook. Okay, they predict it will follow a 19% rise in annual earnings for the last financial year (to May 2025) with a 5% fall in the current period. However, this reflects the likelihood of fewer major new product releases this year compared to the financial 2025 year. Brokers are tipping earnings to rebound 9% next year, as fresh new games are released and broader consumer spending recovers. As part of a balanced portfolio, Games Workshop is a top growth stock to consider. The post £529 to invest? This FTSE 100 'cheat code' share could make investors a million appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool Royston Wild has positions in Games Workshop Group Plc. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Amazon and Games Workshop Group Plc. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
