The expert told how to save money on school fees

It is possible to save money on preparing a child for school in 2026 without compromising on quality. For this, parents should avoid overpaying for brands and unnecessary purchases, compare prices in advance and not strive to purchase the entire set before September 1. Ilya Mosyagin, an assistant to the deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, head of the IMEC Center for International Politics and Economics Research, told Izvestia about this.

According to the expert, basic school preparation in 2026 will cost about 27.9 thousand rubles for a boy and 30.5 thousand rubles for a girl. When choosing more expensive brands, natural materials, several sets of clothes and an expanded set of accessories, expenses can rise to 47-62 thousand rubles per child. The main part of the costs is made up of school uniforms, shoes and a backpack.

"It makes the most sense for parents to save money on brand, design and an excessive amount of things, but not on the quality of shoes and a backpack. Often, a higher-quality item costs less in terms of the entire school year, because it does not have to be changed after a few months. But expensive pencil cases, branded diaries, several sets of uniforms "just in case", extra sets of markers, organizers and some accessories can be safely postponed or not bought at all," he said.

Additionally, price comparisons in marketplaces and regular stores, wholesale purchase of office supplies and collective purchases of parents allow you to reduce costs. Some of the items can be purchased later, when the seasonal hype subsides and discounts appear.

Special attention should be paid to the cost of equipment. According to the expert, a laptop, tablet or a new smartphone should not be automatically included in the compulsory school curriculum. It makes sense to buy them only if there is a real educational need, because otherwise we are talking about additional family expenses.

You can also save money through government and regional support measures. Textbooks and teaching aids provided by the educational program are provided free of charge in State and municipal schools. In addition, compensation for uniforms, payments for the school year and discounted meals are provided for large and low-income families in the regions. The conditions for providing such assistance depend on the region.

Read more in the article:

School fee without extra expenses: what you can save on September 1