And so the new school year begins today. I've stocked up with everything the kids need as they return to school and college. With three school age children to cater for, this can be quite expensive. Thankfully, Poundland has helped lighten our financial load with their extensive range of products that are all just £1 each.
Stationery
There were some great value stationery bits for Ella who is back at college for her final year. She gets through so much A4 paper, so the 160 page pads are extremely useful. The Home & Office in-tray will help her organise her homework, keeping it all together and in order. The biros, highlighters and marker pens are great value and good quality. Many products include extra items for free. For example the permanent coloured markers (like own brand coloured Sharpies) are 12 for the price of 10, and the highlighters are 6 for the price of 5.
Out of twenty products purchased, the only disappointing one was the Brights Memo Board which is a wipe clean whiteboard with a rubber trim. Unfortunately the trim came away and snapped when the shrink wrapped plastic was removed.
The My First JCB colouring pencils are lovely and perfect for Freddy to encourage him to practice his writing and drawing. The products featuring characters are lovely for party gifts. With favourites such as Minnie Mouse, Monster's University, The Muppets and Furby, there is something for everyone.
Some of the stationery products were 3 for £1. The Added Value range includes all the essentials but with no frills. It provides excellent value for money, perfect if the budget is tight.
Lunchboxes
With my children all taking packed lunches to school, I am always on the look out for tasty, filling snacks to put into their lunchboxes. If I can get healthier options, so much the better. I am so impressed by Poundland's food aisle which stocks loads of top brand products. At £1 each everyday, they are always cheaper than the supermarkets, saving me money on my weekly shop. I bought Walker's Hoops and Crosses, Soreen cereal bars, The Fruit Factory Fruit Gummies, Fruit Bowl Yogurt Coated Strawberry Flakes, Sun Maid organic raisins, Cadbury's Brunch Bars and a bag of sweet almonds.
Having these in my cupboard will keep the kids in lunchbox snacks for the next few weeks and allow me to rotate what they get so they don't get bored. It is great to be
able to get the healthier options such as the fruit flakes, organic raisin boxes and Soreen.
The money saved is such a bonus. Just look at the everyday supermarket prices of these items:
Fruit Flakes 5 x 25g £2.00
Organic Raisins x 9 £2.43
Walkers Hoops and Crosses £1.79
Brunch Bars £1.99
Soreen Go Bars £2.15
Fruit Gummies £1.99
TOTAL COST £12.35
POUNDLAND PRICE £6.00
I saved £6.35 on these six items alone!
The sweet almonds are part of a new range of dried fruit and nuts which is brilliant and so much cheaper than the cost of shopping in a health food shop or supermarket. They are great for healthy snacking or for using in recipes. I will definitely be buying a whole load of nuts for my Christmas Nut Loaf this year. It'll save me an absolute fortune!
Breakfast
It is important to start the day with a hearty breakfast! The instant porridge sachets are excellent value at just £1 and are every bit as good as the top brand ones which cost over twice as much! The instant porridge snack pots are really handy as Ella can take them to college and make them up with hot water in the common room. £1 for two pots is a good price.
Laundry
With the kids back at school, the washing of the extra school uniform laundry load will once again resume. Poundland sell the Esscents Laundry Gel which comes in a big 1 litre 28 wash bottle for just £1, which is about five times cheaper than the big brand laundry gels available in supermarkets. I have heard some very positive feedback about this product and I am looking forward to testing it out. It is so much cheaper than the washing detergent I use that I could save pounds by switching. Definitely worth giving it a try!
Yet again I have been very impressed by the extensive product range found in store at Poundland. The mix of top branded products and Poundland's own products gives so much choice and the pricing ensures there are no nasty surprises at the till.
STOP PRESS **Whilst we were shopping for back to school items at Poundland, we also spotted some fabulous make-up items from brands such as Max Factor, Collection 2000, Revlon, Rimmel and CK. A few may have found their way into our shopping basket. Check out Poundland for some excellent beauty bargains! Don't forget to pop into Poundland when shopping on the high street, you will be surprised at what you might find! **
As a Poundland Ambassador I received a voucher to help cover the cost of the review items.