IT’S back to home-schooling for a week or so at least.

Half-term is over and once again you’re left coaxing (or bribing) kids to do school work.

Savvy mums are sorting out their own snack stations to stop shopping bills soaring while homeschooling

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Savvy mums are sorting out their own snack stations to stop shopping bills soaring while homeschoolingCredit: Getty Images – Getty

One issue that comes up on social media is the amount of snacks families are getting through during school hours.

But savvy mums are sorting out their own snack stations to stop shopping bills soaring – and they’ll work once the kids are back in school, too.

DAILY LIMIT: Pick up a storage basket for each child (I like Wilko’s grey baskets, £1). Give everyone their own and put in snacks for the entire day. Kids then have to ration themselves and know there are no more snacks after they have eaten all of theirs.

PORTION IT: Buying big is usually cost effective, but portioning it yourself means you control the cost. Split a large bag of treats into small tubs and then kids can help themselves. Get a 200g bag of Lidl popcorn for £1.09 and weigh out 30g portions — you should get just over six — which works out at about 18p a snack. A 35p six-pack of white pitta breads can be chopped into triangles, baked and salted to make pitta chips. If one pitta is a portion that’s six separate snacks for 6p each.

BOTTLE IT: One mum I know refills a Lucozade Sport bottle with orange squash and there have been no complaints. Kids also love Fruit Shoots. Pick up two 15-packs of Robinsons Fruit Shoot Orange for £6 at Iceland. Refill the bottles with orange squash.

DIY IT: Make your own versions of snacks at home. One brilliant ­recipe is home-made fruit roll-ups and you only need a couple of ingredients. Buy a bag of Tesco Imperfectly Perfect Frozen Berries, just £2.39 per kg, £1.11 cheaper than the “perfect” ones. Heat half the bag in a saucepan until jammy. Add lemon juice, blend then smear on a tray lined with greaseproof paper. Bake on a low heat until dried out, when you can cut into strips and roll up. You should get eight.

  • PRICES correct at time of going to press. Deals subject to availability.

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