So my son's new school has given him 3 lessons of food and art & design, and because I work an extra 4 hours they won't help me towards it, so I have to buy 3 lots of ingredients a week and 2 lots of art equipment a week – makes me feel so crap that if I dropped my hours to get some/any support I'd be entitled, and same with the uniforms, but with universal credit when your child gets to a certain age you HAVE to work no less than 20 hours a week, how unfair is this?

For people like us, the cost of living crisis is far from over. Just because inflation rates may have slowed slightly, this does not all of a sudden mean people who rely on in-work or out of work benefits can afford the basic costs of living. Again it is the media who are perpetuating this, and there are perhaps political reasons to do so. Surely if the crisis was over, then families like ours would not be paying a larger proportionate percentage of income for food, housing and energy.

This September has hit the hardest. I have had to make cuts to what I buy in terms of school uniform, eeking out last year’s tattered uniform and making do with items outgrown. The cost of childcare has increased too and that has put an enormous strain on my budget.

Not even started to become over – how on earth are people saying that it is? If anything, for me, it's getting harder. I am trying to find a new place to live because my landlord is selling and like half of my town we're struggling. I don't earn or know anyone who earns 35x the rent!

Food is still massively over priced and still not able to buy a decent amount, just barely scraping by. Energy may have gone down but is still going to be extremely hard after the snow starts to come and its causing anxiety and panic, clothes are still so expensive that school uniform is still being brought due to how expensive it is and the fact we don't have enough to get it because we have no help.

Bills are still rising and debts still are outstanding for everyone I know! It's nowhere near over, if anything, it's got a small bit worse because not enough help has been given in the first place, and if the media is saying it's over then there's no way we will be ok. Inflation may be dropping but interest rates are still constantly going up and up, yet benefits are going down or being made harder to acquire when in need. We're all still skipping meals and going without so how is it over? The media should be ashamed and the government need to help not slip it under the rug.

The start of the new school year is terrifying particularly as I now have 2 kids in high school, the uniform is extortionate, then there's the meals and on his first day back my son informed me they have a school trip I need to pay for in 2 weeks. Honestly have no clue how I'm going to do that with no expendable income or savings. I hope others are in a better position than I am.

Hiya all it was my son's first day of high-school yesterday I had to pay £10 for this week's bus fare, then have to pay £37 for a monthly pass, then it's £48.50 for school meals for the month, not including the £206 on uniform, branded shoes and branded coat, and If I didn't buy him branded there is a chance he could be bullied as this is a starting point – what a nightmare! The things we have to do to try and ensure your child doesn't get bullied, as this is my worst nightmare. He did enjoy it but only year 7 & 11 were allowed back yesterday, so waiting to see what today brings as all the years are back today, my anxiety is through the roof.

My daughter will start her class nine this September. So she will need new dress as her dress code will change as well as extra stationery means extra cost. Extra after school club means extra food. So everything together will give me a bit of a burden which I need to manage.

New school year means new dresses, shoes, pens, pencils, etc., for the children which is always an extra expenditure for parents. This year living cost crisis will make this situation worse than before. We have to cut other essentials to meet up this certain expenditure.

Hi. I am very worried as my eldest is starting college. No longer in uniform. I don't want her bullied but also can't afford latest trends. I have bought her some charity shop finds but that's the most I can do. Biggest worry is school trips. Poorer kids definitely miss out on the fun extras!

You have to do a lot of budgeting both for summer holidays and new academic year.

Holidays/break from normal routines and environment is good for everyone's mental health - particularly if you are a single parent with low income, etc.

You want your children to have fun during holidays too and so you plan a holiday getaway (a budget one with almost no meals out). After you are back from your summer break, you make a list of things for the new academic year - uniforms, shoes, etc. Yes, all this can make you stressed and worried.

My son's current school is a Catholic one, and he is therefore not allowed to wear tracksuit bottoms, but has to wear trousers instead.

He has recently had a massive growth spurt, and has put on quite a bit of weight around his stomach area, and as a result most of the trousers I buy for him from the shops are standardised for a specific age group, but not very adjustable in terms of size, which often means even when I buy him trousers for an older age than he is (because often the waist is that little bit larger) the legs of them are often way too long, and I have to pay even more money (sometimes more than what I paid for the actual trousers) just to get them altered at the Tailors!

I often feel that I can't win, and that (even though they also sell elasticated waisted trousers) they still don't cater for slightly larger children.

This is one of the biggest challenges I face at the start of almost every school year.

As far as expense is concerned, the new school year has always filled me with dread. My daughter is now in 6th form studying for her A levels so does not need to wear a school uniform, but she does have to wear smart casual clothes and shoes which still have to be paid for out of my legacy benefit payment.

On top of this, there is a need for students to buy and supply their own books which can be expensive. I am also very concerned that living on an extremely low income, not being able to afford to feed ourselves properly and the fact that my daughter also acts as an unpaid carer for me, is having a serious effect on her studies at school, which seems to be taking its toll on her at present.

On top of this she also has a lump on her knee which causes a lot of pain and discomfort which we are waiting for a hospital appointment for in order to have it removed, which is also affecting her studies and means she will need time off school to recover. So, basically, going back to school in September is not something we are looking forward to as the whole situation we find ourselves in is having a detrimental effect on her ability to have the best possible chance in life she can get.

I’ve just been paid and so did the uniform shop today. Fortunately I haven’t had to buy a complete range of new uniform (unlike last year when my daughter started secondary school), so that has helped. But the usual extortionate cost of footwear remains. I’ll be glad of the routine again come September but dread the onslaught of money for trips and various charitable requests / non uniform days, milk, school dinners, etc. Everything is so ridiculously expensive and with rising costs in every other area of my life, this just feels like yet another burden to bear.