How to save a bundle on back-to-school costs

New data shows sending your kids to school has never been so expensive, with even a public education costing about $50,000.

And back to school costs contribute to an already-stressful time of year for parents, with uniforms, books, stationery and even lunch costs hitting the hip pocket hard.

However, two saving-savvy parents have offered A Current Affair viewers their top tips to trim costs.

Mum of two Jody Allen, who runs the popular Stay At Home Mum site, said avoiding brand name goods helped.

"They may want the name brand bags and the fancy lunch boxes and things like that, but these are places where you can pull back and buy the basics," she said.

She advised parents to check their cupboards before they went on a shopping spree.

"So just this morning I found three glue sticks, two rulers and heaps of rubbers - nobody ever finishes rubbers," she said.

Generic stationery also helped in the penny-pinching stakes.

Taking advantage of sales to buy multiples of the same item can help later in the year.

Ms Allen said school lunches could also cost less if parents bought snacks in bulk and packaged them up themselves.

Uniforms are one of the major expenses families face.

Ms Allen suggested purchasing uniforms two sizes up from a child's current size, as they would grow into it.

Teacher and mum of one Jenny Atkinson, who founded the Get Set For High School foundation, said buying second-hand uniforms was also helpful.

Places like Gumtree, eBay and Facebook groups often offered bargains.

"And don't assume that they are going to be very old, worn-out uniforms, because children can grow so quickly," she said.

Another resource for parents was the Sustainable Schools Shop, which allowed parents to sell old uniforms and textbooks online.

For parents who preferred bricks-and-mortar shopping, stores such as Big W, Kmart and Target also often offered bargains.

Generic brand shorts or skirts, and low-priced shoes, could be found for less than $10.

And both Ms Allen and Ms Atkinson agreed that putting money aside during the year was the best thing to do to reduce school bill shock, as well as help pay off buy now/pay later schemes.