Millions of mums and dads are now in a desperate last-minute dash to get their children ready for the September term.
But that doesn't mean it's too late to find a decent back-to-school bargain in the last few days of the summer holiday.
Research from LV= shows that parents have upped their back to school spending to a collective £709million, with almost half of parents expecting to pay more this year than they did last September.
But you don't have to break the bank - here's our pick of the best deals and offers...
Save on school uniforms
This year, the supermarkets are out in force and are undercutting many of the traditional school uniform suppliers.
For example, ASDA has a five pack of girls' short sleeve school shirts for just £4, or £6 for a boys' pack. Black school trousers start at just £3 for girls and £4 for boys, while it has shoes for just £5 for girls and boys' school shoes for £10.
Add in an ASDA jumper at £2 each and you've got a basic school uniform for £22 for a boy and £12 for a girl.
It's not just supermarkets offering competitive deals. Girls' uniforms are at a great price at BHS - you can pick up a blouse, polo top and t-shirt together for just £3; a junior girl's skirt for £4; pretty and practical butterfly shoes for £10; and a unisex sweatshirt for £4, making a total spend of only £21.
Boys can be dressed for less too, with a polo top, t-shirt and shirt for £3; one pair of trousers for just £3.50; smart shoes from £8; and a unisex jumper at £4. That means £18.50 for all the basics.
But even if you want to spend a bit more and find the best quality school uniform you can, there are still great ways to save money.
You can look for bundle deals - where you get a discount for buying the whole kit from just one place, or you could cash in any supermarket loyalty points to help make the cost more manageable.
Don't forget to visit the moneysupermarket.com back-to-school vouchers for some great money-saving deals, like 10% off at Direct Schoolwear.
Spend less on stationery
You want to send your child back to school with brand new pens, pencils and felt-tips, but the cost of these can soon mount up.
The trick here is to be careful where you go and not let yourself give in to nagging at the shops, where the most expensive and sparkly colouring pens will be laid out enticingly at child height.
Instead, take a look at a ready-filled pencil case - there are some fantastic deals out there. You can even buy kid-friendly character stationery at a parent-friendly price.
For example, ASDA has a Peppa Pig pencil case complete with notepad, ruler, ballpen, pencil, eraser, sharpener, 16 colouring pencils and 14 felt tips - all for a fiver.
Toys R Us has a Bart Simpson case stuffed with pencils, pens, a rubber, sharpener, pen, protractor and ruler for £6.99.
If your child is Ben 10-mad, Tesco Direct has a themed pencil case that costs a little bit more at £8, but comes rammed with all the stationery most children will need, including pencils and pens, a rubber, sharpener, ruler, set square, protractor and notebook.
Picking up a new PC
Some parents will be sending their older children back to school complete with laptop or will need to upgrade their home computer so the kids have an up-to-date machine to do their homework on.
If you're looking for a new computer then, again, some of the big chains have some very attractive deals.
For example, Tesco will give you £50 off a new Toshiba laptop if you trade in any old laptop, while PC World will give you £50 off any PC, laptop or netbook if you trade in your old machine.
Insure the school satchel
Once you've bought all this expensive stuff to help your children study, have you taken the time to protect it?
A study by Direct Line found that the average school bag can contain almost £400-worth of kit once you factor in mobile phones, which almost half of children carry to school, and MP3 players, which one in five kids routinely carry.
Even just the cost of replacing books, pencil case and gym kit can be pretty high if the bag goes missing.
So make sure your home insurance policy includes stuff your child carries to school and back, and keep the receipts of any particularly pricey possessions.
Need to spread the cost
If you're on a tight budget, we recommend saving throughout the year to help break up the cost of the kids going back to school. For those who don't have savings to hand, a credit card with a decent 0% introductory offer on purchases could be exactly what you need to spread the cost.
For example, the Tesco Clubcard Credit Card comes with 13 months interest-free on purchases, after which you pay a typical APR of 16.9%. You can even collect extra Clubcard points, which you could save up for future school kit costs.
The Sainsbury's Credit Card gives you 12 months at 0% on purchases, after which you pay a typical APR of 15.9%, although to qualify you need to have a Nectar card that you've used at least once.
There are a number of interest-free deals on purchases that could allow you to repay the new-term costs over a longer period. To see which ones you're likely to qualify for, use our 'Find the right card for you' tool.
Please note: Any rates or deals mentioned in this article were available at the time of writing. Click on a highlighted product and apply direct.
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