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Budgeting, reusing supplies: How families in UAE are cutting back-to-school costs
UAE mothers share practical ways to plan ahead, compare prices and avoid unnecessary spending ahead of the new academic year
- PUBLISHED: Wed 12 Aug 2026, 1:51 PM
As families prepare for the 2026-2027 academic year, parents are looking for ways to manage back-to-school spending, from comparing prices and setting budgets to reusing school supplies and making the most of discounts.
For Um Hasher, a mother of two in Dubai, the first step is checking what is already available at home before heading to the shops. She reviews her children's school supplies from the previous year and makes a list of only what needs to be replaced.
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“I divide the shopping into essentials and additional items, and set a budget for each child so I don’t buy duplicate or unnecessary things,” she said. “Sometimes I also buy certain supplies in larger quantities if they are better value, especially items that will be used throughout the year.”
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Planning ahead has also helped other parents spread out the cost and avoid last-minute purchases. Maryam Haji Mohammed, a mother of two daughters entering Grade 7 and Grade 4 in Ras Al Khaimah, started preparing for the new school year in July.
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Before tailoring uniforms, she first checked with the school and teachers to confirm that the uniforms and logos would remain unchanged. She then had the official and sports uniforms tailored to her daughter's measurements, allowing her to choose longer and more modest fits rather than purchasing oversized ready-made clothes.
“I saved myself time and money,” she said.
Maryam also donated her daughter’s previous school uniforms to a local Charity Foundation, which runs an exhibition for students in need, giving the clothes a second use instead of leaving them unused at home.
For stationery, bags, labels and other school supplies, she chose to shop online, allowing her daughters to select what they wanted while using online filters to compare prices. Living in an area with limited access to nearby shops, she said online shopping also helped her avoid crowded stores, parking difficulties and long queues during the back-to-school rush.
Shopping online, comparing prices
Comparing prices across different shops and online platforms is also part of Um Hasher's approach. She said she has noticed significant differences in the prices of school bags, lunch boxes, colouring supplies and stationery featuring popular characters.
“Sometimes the same quality is available at another shop for much less, so I don’t buy from the first place I see,” she said.
For Amna, another Dubai mother who has five daughters, reviewing the previous year's supplies is similarly the starting point for her back-to-school shopping.
“I first check all the things from last year and separate what is damaged or no longer useful, then I buy only what is missing,” she said.
Amna also looks out for promotions online and recently took advantage of discounts on school bags, lunch boxes and other school essentials. However, she said the quality of the product remains an important consideration when deciding whether a discount is genuinely worthwhile.
Um Hasher, likewise, cautioned parents against being swayed by large discounts, saying they should check the original price and compare it with prices elsewhere before deciding whether a deal is worth taking.
“Not every discount means the price is actually cheaper,” she said. “I also ask myself whether we really need the item and whether it is good quality and will be used. If we already have it or don’t need it, I won’t buy it even if the discount is big, because buying something unnecessary is not saving money.”
Not wasting school supplies
Reusing supplies is another common way parents are keeping costs down.
Um Hasher said school bags, pencil cases and lunch boxes can often be used for more than one year if they remain in good condition, while leftover colours, pens, folders and rulers can also be carried over.
Amna said the same applies to school bags, although children sometimes want a change.
“If the bags are still good, I keep them, although sometimes the children like to change them and get new ones,” she said. “There are also times when a new bag suddenly gets damaged, so we go back to using the previous year’s bag.”
She added that the bags can remain useful beyond the classroom, including for carrying toys and other items during family outings.
Maryam also tries to ensure that school supplies are not wasted. At home, she keeps partially used notebooks, coloured pencils, stationery and craft materials in a dedicated corner for her daughters to use for drawing and other activities.
Items that are still in good condition but are no longer needed are either donated or passed on to relatives and friends.
For families with several children, such habits can help extend the life of school supplies while reducing the need to replace everything at the start of each academic year.
Across the three households, the approach is less about avoiding spending altogether and more about making each purchase count, by checking existing supplies, planning early, comparing prices, assessing discounts and finding ways to reuse or pass on items that are still in good condition.
Azza Al Ali is a reporter from Ras Al Khaimah, dedicated to sharing stories that bring the community’s voices to life. She’s passionate about connecting with people and highlighting what truly matters to them.