There's only two weeks left for back-to-school shopping. When it comes to buying the basics, how do you get the most bang for your buck?
Laura Platt knows staying on budget while doing back to school shopping can be a challenge. "I haven't figured it out yet,” said the mother of three.
“I almost don't want to look at the whole total we're going to get what we need, and try to cut corners where we can."
Terri Morrisseau cuts some corners by reusing items from last year. “They've had the same ruler from Grade 1 to Grade 9,” she said.
“Our daughter just graduated. She used the same ruler, same geometry set."
Despite the best efforts of some parents to save money, a recent survey showed Canadians are expected to spend four per cent more on school supplies compared to last year, the highest increase since 2008.
CTV used a typical shopping list for a Grade 7 class to shop around for the best deals on some back to school basics. We visited four different stores – Staples, Walmart, Target and Dollarama.
The list included 25 items, ranging from notebooks, binders, scissors, and pens, to whiteboards, markers and paper.
The totals:
- Dollarama $64.69
- Staples $118.97
- Walmart $119.45
- Target $125.67
Many of the items on the shelves at the big box retailers were name brands as opposed to cheaper generics found at dollar stores. For example, a water bottle and white board came in at around $10 each at Staples, compared to just a few dollars at Dollarama.
"Like OK, who cares if it's a brand name, this is just as good, and it's $2 less. I will do that," said Morrisseau.
Morrisseau said she plans to buy bulk or cheaper no-name brands.
- with a report from Karen Rocznik
