The run-up to getting the kids back at school is expensive but what if you could kit your child out with a whole uniform for £4.50? Well, now you can with thanks to Aldi!
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September is always seen as an expensive time of year. And while I know there are still a few more weeks of this school year, to get on top and to keep costs under control, it’s best to start early.
To help keep more pennies in your pocket, budget supermarket Aldi launches their back to school range of uniforms again this year.
Cheapest school uniform
Discount supermarket Aldi sold a back to school range of uniforms for less than a fiver in 2019, and it will be the same price for 2021.
It’s been confirmed the Aldi Back to School Event will be held online from Monday 19th July, and in stores from Thursday 22nd July.
(In 2020 it was later in August as it was pushed back due to distribution delays.)
As part of the uniform bundle, you get two pack of polo shirts, one jumper and either trousers or a skirt for just £4.50.
A whole set is less than one skirt from another retailer!
On top of the £4.50 uniform package, Aldi is selling other essentials including scuff-resistant shoes, socks and tights, PE kits, backpacks and other accessories.
The school uniforms and accessories are part of Aldi Special Buys, so once they’re gone, they’re gone.
150 day satisfaction guarantee
If the price wasn’t enough, the uniform comes with a 150 day satisfaction guarantee.
You need to retain your receipt for proof of purchase, and it doesn’t matter if the uniform is faulty or not!
Here’s how the Aldi school uniform range from 2019 stacked up against the other supermarkets.
| Aldi | Tesco | M&S | Asda | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round neck sweater | £1 | from £3 | from £4.80 | from £2 |
| Pack of polo shirts | £1.75 | from £2.50 | from £4 | from £2.50 |
| Trousers or a skirt | £1.75 | from £3 | from £6.40 | from £3 |
| TOTAL | £4.50 | £8.50 | £15.20 | £7.50 |
| % saved by shopping with Aldi | 47% | 70% | 40% |
Aldi’s cheapest school uniform is available for children of primary school ages (from 4 to 11 years old) and is the same price no matter what the size.
The uniform can be bought online from 18th July 2021 and in-store from 22nd July. (It sells out fast online though, so don’t get your hopes up!)
There will usually be a queue system online, which may mean you need to wait a while before you can access the sale. So, set an alarm to get on the site early.
The thing is, the uniform isn’t shoddy or cheap.
You think a whole set for less than a fiver, and first thoughts turn to believe it’ll be poor material or poorly made, but that’s just not the case.
Testing out the Aldi uniform
Chloe, our youngest, was invited to try out the new school range from Aldi and star in their advert (see below). It was a fantastic day, and both Skint Mum and I had a cameo at the end.
To say she had a brilliant time is an understatement. From trying to eat a jar of Nutella (after smudging a lot of it down her jumper while baking) to covering her polo shirt in paint to running around playing chase, basketball and football, she loved her day at school.
What she didn’t realise was that as she was playing, she was giving the uniform a good test drive.
Could it withstand a no-holds-barred kid who didn’t care what they were wearing but still wanted to have fun? Yes, it could!
And how did it get on?
As a quick Aldi school uniform review, her shoes were a great fit, but the shiny cover did start to come off after a few months from her scraping the fronts on the floor.
The polo t-shirts and skirts were faultless though, and we couldn’t tell the difference between Aldi and M&S t-shirts – apart from the huge difference in price tag!
We got to take home all the uniform from the day – which also meant taking home the t-shirt she painted. Unfortunately, by the time it had all dried that amount of paint couldn’t get washed off 🙂
In 2016, the Aldi uniform cost £4 for a set, so while it’s gone up a little, it is still good value.
In 2018, it was selling for £5, so it’s great they are able to keep the price competitive now.
Really, if you’re looking for a total bargain, then cheap school uniform is one that you don’t want to miss.
Other ways to get cheap school uniform
While you may think it’s nice to have things brand new, most school uniforms are so hard-wearing nowadays that picking them up second hand is a no-brainer.
They wash well and are usually made with special fabrics that keep their colour and stay a decent quality.
If you need to find cheap school uniform, there are a few options:
Nearly new
The best bet is to reach out to your school. They get donated clothing that no longer fits, or they put up for sale unclaimed lost property. We managed to get new school dresses this year for just £1 each, and they were like new.
From time to time there are nearly new sales organised to sell on unwanted kids clothes and baby accessories. These days are super busy, so go early to make sure to find the bargains.
While it doesn’t happen that often, keep a lookout in your local charity shops as people do donate their old school uniforms on.
Online
They’ll usually be added not long after kids have broken up from school.
You could even put a request out, rather than sitting waiting for the right ad to come along.
eBay will also have lots of uniforms, but if you’ve got a school with branded jumpers or ties, then keeping it local is a winner.
School uniform grant
You may be able to get a £150 school uniform grant from the government, depending on your circumstances.
This grant will help with the cost of school uniform and PE kits.
It’s all run differently, depending on where you live, so you will need to check with your local council.
Depending on eligibility, you could also apply for the GroceryAid school clothes grant.
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kelly-ann craig says
Actually with a 6 and an 8 year old I do spread the cost of uniform over the course of the year. They are active, growing children and require regular replacements. The supermarket uniforms are actually very good quality and in fact Tesco is a massive supplier of “branded” uniform. The problem is that the school’s themselves actually dictate who their uniform provider is. This means they can cut a deal with a provider to get some of the cash back from uniform sales.
My children’s school has picked Marks and Spencers as their chosen supplier. For me to buy my son a polo shirt with his school logo embroidered on it would be £6. For me to buy a pack of two plain polo shirts from the Marks and Spencer website would cost £5. That is £2.50 per shirt, a difference of £3.50 per shirt. Do you really think that logo cost £3.50?? Marks are a fair trade company so no chance of them using Filipino babies to stitch the logo’s on in candlelight. It is pure profiteering!!
There is also the fact that not everybody is in the same position as you claim to be in. You can dress your children in whatever you like but to visit a website named skintdad and write an essay like the one above judging and commenting on other people who need to use the “cheap, disposable rubbish” is just beyond atrocious and you should be ashamed..