This article provides a practical guide to what you need to buy for school, how much these items typically cost in Lithuania, how to avoid unnecessary expenses, and what government assistance is available to families with children.
Shopping during the last week before the start of the school year almost always means paying more: the selection in stores is noticeably more limited by that point, discount sales on school supplies and clothing have already ended, and the right shoe size or a specific backpack model may simply be out of stock. On top of that, the last-minute rush encourages impulse purchases that aren’t always justified.
On the other hand, large-scale studies also point to the opposite risk: parents who hunt for discounts too early and too aggressively often end up spending more than they planned—sales encourage them to buy items that weren’t on their original list. A sensible balance is to start planning in advance, but to spread out the purchase of most items over several weeks rather than cramming it all into a single day.
Start by taking stock of what you already have at home from the previous school year—go through school supplies, clothes, and the backpack with your child and honestly assess what’s still in good condition and what really needs to be replaced. Only then does it make sense to create a final shopping list based on what’s actually missing, rather than out of habit to buy everything new.
Clothing, shoes, and a backpack—items that will definitely be needed regardless of the teacher’s specific requirements—can and should be bought in advance, while there’s still time to choose the right options and find a good price. However, it’s wiser to buy specific school supplies—such as certain notebooks, folders of a specific size, or craft or art kits—only after receiving the official list from the school, to avoid buying unnecessary items or the wrong ones.
A basic set of school supplies includes notebooks with the appropriate ruling or grid pattern, folders for notebooks and worksheets, a set for drafting and drawing, erasers, pencil sharpeners, and a book stand. It’s best to check the specific list provided by the school—requirements can vary even between parallel classes within the same school.
Pens and pencils are consumables that will need to be repurchased multiple times throughout the year, so there’s no point in overpaying for premium brands at the beginning of the year: for most children, reliable yet affordable options are more than sufficient. However, when it comes to pencil cases and folders—which will last the entire year—it’s wiser not to skimp on quality; cheap alternatives often start falling apart at the seams by winter.
A backpack is one of the most expensive one-time purchases for school. When choosing one, look for an orthopedic back panel, adjustable straps, water-repellent fabric, and sufficient capacity based on the child’s age and grade level.
Additional accessories—such as a pencil case, a shoe bag, and a water bottle—should be chosen based on the school’s actual requirements, rather than buying everything “just in case.”
A sports uniform and a spare pair of athletic shoes are required at virtually every school; however, it’s best to clarify specific requirements regarding the color or style of the uniform in advance—some schools have fairly strict requirements regarding the appearance of the uniform for physical education classes.
In addition to any specific school uniform, if required, it’s a good idea to update your child’s basic wardrobe, keeping in mind that they’ve grown over the summer. It makes sense to focus not on buying as many items as possible all at once, but on a functional minimum that can be mixed and matched.
Not everything you see in the “school supplies” section of a store is actually necessary for your child. Specialized organizers, overpriced branded stationery sets featuring cartoon characters, or redundant accessories — these are expenses you can easily do without if you focus on a realistic list in advance rather than on the marketing displays in stores.
According to a study conducted in July 2026 commissioned by Lidl Lietuva, 37% of parents plan to spend 101–200 euros on school supplies for one child, another 20% plan to spend 201–300 euros, and 17% expect to spend more than 300 euros. These figures serve as a good guideline for planning your own budget, but the final amount always depends on the specific grade, the school’s requirements, and what’s left over from last year.
Traditionally, the most significant expense when preparing for school is not school supplies, but rather clothing and shoes—parents are willing to spend the most on these items. Next in importance are sports uniforms and backpacks, while school supplies—though numerous in variety—usually cost less overall.
The variation in total expenses among families is due to several factors: the child’s age and grade level (first-graders usually need more new items than older students, who can continue wearing some of their old clothes), the number of school-age children in the family, and how actively the family reuses items from the previous year instead of buying everything new.
Setting a spending limit for back-to-school preparations in advance helps you avoid impulse purchases driven by the excitement of the season or promotional offers. It’s helpful to allocate the budget by category in advance—for example, separately for clothing and separately for school supplies—and stick to these guidelines when shopping, even if a particular store offers a tempting but unplanned discount.
Before making a shopping list, go through what’s left over from the previous school year with your child—it often turns out that a significant portion of school supplies, sports uniforms, or even a backpack is still perfectly usable, and there’s no need to buy these items again.
Prices for the same school supplies can vary significantly between supermarkets, stationery stores, and online retailers. The little time spent comparing prices before a major purchase—especially a backpack, gym clothes, or shoes—often pays off with significant savings.
Many stores and supermarket chains run seasonal sales on school supplies in the run-up to the school year. However, it’s important to remember: studies show that parents who actively hunt for discounts spend, on average, 14% more than those who don’t specifically track discounts—the thrill of searching for good deals often leads to buying more than necessary. A sensible approach is to know exactly what you need in advance and buy only those items on sale, rather than everything you see that’s discounted.
Loyalty programs at major supermarkets—Maxima, Rimi, IKI, and Lidl—often offer personalized discounts specifically on school supplies at the end of summer. Regularly using your loyalty card while preparing for school can significantly reduce your total expenses.
Branded school supplies featuring cartoon characters or well-known logos usually cost significantly more than functionally identical unbranded alternatives. For consumables like pens, pencils, or standard notebooks, the price difference is rarely justified by a difference in quality.
Teaming up with other parents in the class to buy a large batch of identical school supplies—such as shared notebooks or art supplies—sometimes allows you to get a bulk discount that isn’t available when buying a small quantity of items individually.
Major supermarket chains in Lithuania—Maxima, Rimi, IKI, and Lidl—traditionally expand their selection of school supplies at the end of summer and offer seasonal discounts on stationery, backpacks, and sports uniforms. This is a convenient option for buying a basic set of supplies in one place while doing your regular grocery shopping.
Specialty stationery stores usually offer a wider selection of specific items—such as notebooks in certain sizes, drafting kits, and specialized materials for arts and crafts or drawing—which is especially helpful if the school supply list includes non-standard requirements.
Buying school supplies from online stores often lets you compare prices across multiple retailers without wasting time visiting different stores, and order larger items—such as a backpack or shoes—with home delivery. The downside of this option is that you can’t try on clothes or shoes before buying them, which is something to keep in mind when choosing a size.
Our classifieds board is an underrated but very practical way to save money when getting ready for school. Backpacks, gym uniforms, and sometimes even nearly new outerwear that your child hasn’t outgrown yet can be found at significantly lower prices than in stores. This is especially true for items that are used for only a short time due to a child’s rapid growth—a used jacket purchased this way can be resold just as profitably six months later by posting an ad in the appropriate category.
In addition to standard seasonal sales in stores, it’s worth keeping an eye out for promotions using discount aggregators and loyalty program apps—many of them announce upcoming back-to-school promotions in advance, giving you time to plan your purchases without rushing.
Before heading out to buy new clothes, take a close look at your child’s summer wardrobe—some items may very well last another season, especially if they’re basics rather than seasonal pieces.
Clothes that can be mixed and matched in different ways are more practical than a set of outfits for “every day of the week.” A few basic pieces that go well together are cheaper and last longer than a large wardrobe full of highly specialized items.
The end of summer and the beginning of fall are the traditional sale season for summer collections, allowing you to stock up on basics in advance at a discounted price. It’s a good idea to buy clothes with a little room to grow, but not too much—clothing that’s too big reduces your child’s comfort right now for the sake of hypothetical savings in the future.
Children grow quickly, and clothes—especially outerwear—are often worn only a few times before they become too small. Buying high-quality secondhand clothing—on classifieds boards or at consignment shops—lets you get a good item at a significantly lower price, and once your child outgrows it, you can just as easily sell it to the next family.
Buying clothes several sizes larger “just in case” may seem like a thrifty strategy, but it often backfires: the clothes either no longer fit the child’s style by the time they’ve grown into them, go out of style, or simply wear out on the shelf before they’re ever worn. It’s wiser to buy with a small, realistic margin of one size, rather than two or three sizes ahead.
If last year’s backpack is still in good condition—the frame is intact, the fasteners work properly, and the capacity fits the new set of textbooks—there’s no need to buy a new one just because the new school year has started. You should replace a backpack based on actual wear and tear, not just because a new school year has started.
When choosing a new backpack, it’s more important to focus on ergonomics—an orthopedic back panel, adjustable straps, and weight distribution—than on the brand or design. A good orthopedic backpack often costs more, but this difference is justified by the need to protect your child’s back, especially when carrying heavy textbooks.
Buying new technology for school is justified only when it’s truly required by the curriculum or when the existing device can no longer handle the workload. Don’t give in to marketing pressure to upgrade your technology every year if the old device still works fine.
If new technology is truly necessary, it’s wise to compare offers from several stores and, if possible, consider a previous-generation model—the price difference between the current and previous models is often significant, even though the difference in performance is practically imperceptible for most educational tasks.
Eligibility for assistance with the purchase of school supplies depends on the average income per family member: the basic threshold is 349.5 euros per person per month, but under certain circumstances—such as illness, loss of a breadwinner, single-parent households, three or more children in the family, or a disability of one of the family members—assistance may be granted even with an income of up to 466 euros per person.
In 2026, social assistance for the purchase of school supplies amounts to 148 euros per student per calendar year. Students in general education schools and preschool institutions enrolled in a school readiness program who are under 21 years of age are eligible for this support.
You can apply for assistance through the Family Social Support Information System (SPIS), directly with your local municipality, by email, via the electronic delivery system, or directly at the school. You will need to attach proof of your family’s income for the past three months to the application.
Applications for assistance with school supplies can be submitted starting July 1, and you can apply for support through October 5 inclusive. Experts recommend not waiting until the last few days of August to submit your application—the sooner you submit it, the more time there is to process the data, and the sooner your family will be able to receive support.
Eligibility for free school meals also depends on family income and applies to students in grades 3–12, subject to the same income criteria as for school supply assistance. Applications for free school meals can be submitted throughout the school year, as needed.
For children enrolled in a preschool preparation program, as well as for first- and second-graders, free lunches are provided automatically, without an assessment of family income and without the need to submit a separate application—this rule applies regardless of the family’s financial situation.
For students in grades 3–12, the application for free meals must be submitted separately from the application for assistance with school supplies, even if both types of support are being applied for at the same time. You can submit the application using the same methods—through SPIS, directly to the municipality, or through the school.
To ensure that your child receives free meals starting on the very first day of the school year—rather than with a delay—experts recommend submitting the application in July or August, before the school year begins. Submitting the application earlier allows more time for data processing and assessment of eligibility for support.
Creating a shopping list together turns getting ready for school into a shared activity, rather than just a parental responsibility, and at the same time gives you the opportunity to explain to your child why the list is limited to these specific items, rather than being based on the principle of “everything they liked at the store.”
Getting ready for school is a good opportunity to explain to your child, in simple terms, the difference between what’s truly needed for school and what they simply want to buy. This conversation not only helps save money in the short term but also gradually fosters a more mindful attitude toward spending in your child.
Pressure from advertising and, sometimes, peers pushes children to buy the trendiest and newest items every year, even if the old ones are still perfectly usable. It’s important to consciously resist this pressure and focus on actual needs rather than what’s trendy this school year.
Older children can be trusted to manage part of the budget for school supplies on their own—for example, set aside a specific amount for school supplies and let your child decide for themselves how to spend it within that limit. This kind of experience teaches them how to plan their spending much more effectively than any theoretical discussions about financial literacy.
Confirm the official list of required supplies with the school or your child’s homeroom teacher—it may differ from general recommendations and include specific requirements for certain items.
Together with your child, go through the school supplies, gym clothes, backpack, and clothing left over from last school year, and determine what’s still usable.
Determine the approximate amount your family is willing to spend on back-to-school preparations, and allocate it across the main categories—clothing, shoes, school supplies, and a backpack.
Before making major purchases, compare prices at different stores, including supermarkets, stationery stores, online retailers, and classifieds for secondhand items.
Check whether your family’s income meets the criteria for assistance with school supplies and free meals, and if necessary, submit your application in advance—don’t wait until the end of August.
Complete your main purchases one to two weeks before the start of the school year to avoid the last-minute rush and allow time to exchange items that don’t fit or return them if necessary.
Preparing for the school year doesn’t have to be a source of stress or unplanned expenses. Taking stock of what you already have at home, planning your budget in advance, and taking advantage of available government assistance can help you get your child ready for school without overspending. And to buy quality secondhand items—from backpacks and gym uniforms to nearly new outerwear—it’s convenient to check out the skelb24.lt classifieds board: there, you can also post an ad for items your child has outgrown.
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