This time of year sees many parents stretched to the max as they try to cover back-to-school costs. Vicky Shaw reports on how to ease the pressure

THE summer break gives many parents a welcome opportunity to spend some extra time with the children.

But it also means spending a lot of extra money, something which spirals even more in the final few weeks, with the shopping list of new uniforms, stationery, books and excursions.

In fact, a new survey from the Money Advice Service (MAS) carried out among 1,000 parents with children aged between four and 11, found that while the average back-to-school spend comes to £180, nine per cent of parents think they’ll have to find £900 or more.

Naturally, this means one in five parents are planning to dip into their savings, 16 per cent expect to use a credit card, eight per cent think they’ll rely on an overdraft and two per cent will resort to taking out a loan.

It might sound overwhelming, but there are some ways of cutting the costs of the new term. One fifth of those surveyed used coupons, promotions and offers, while nearly one third relied on good, old-fashioned hand-medowns.

Jane Symonds, a money expert at the MAS, says: “Most parents enjoy spending more time with their children during the summer holidays, but after the cost of days out and keeping the kids entertained, the annual back-to-school spend comes at the worst possible time for many.

“We all want the best for our kids, but parents need to be realistic about what they can and can’t afford. Making use of special offers, vouchers and second-hand items can all help keep costs in check.”

The MAS, set up by Government to offer money tips, has a “back to school” planner tool on its website, moneyadviceservice.

org.uk/en/tools/ back-to-school-planner.

There isn’t much respite for parents’ wallets as the kids grow older either, with new research from Gocompare.

com finding that three in five (61 per cent) parents with offspring aged between 16 and 19 have offered incentives such as cash, clothes, holidays, driving lessons and even cars as a reward for achieving good grades.

The average size of the rewards was estimated at £610 across the country, ranging from £982 for youngsters in London to £363 for those living in the East Midlands.