Smart strategies to help you save hundreds on your back-to-school budget

For some Canadian parents, sending kids back to school means overspending on new clothes, supplies and activities, and taking on debt to do it.
The back-to-school shopping season is the second-largest spending period of the year after holiday shopping, and a new survey from personal finance company NerdWallet Canada shows that this year, parents will spend $743 on average. That’s more than $200 higher than last year’s average. What’s worse, 18 per cent of Canadian parents anticipate going into debt over these back-to-school purchases.
Most of the pressure to buy everything brand new at this time of year is influenced by marketing and social media, says Jessica Moorhouse, Toronto-based personal finance expert and host of the More Money Podcast. “It’s really just about keeping up with the Joneses. But if we’re all just trying to keep up, who’s actually winning?”
The answer: Retailers. “The whole idea of back-to-school shopping was invented by retailers who want to make money during July, August and September,” Moorehouse says.
Andrea Moffat, 47, knows what it’s like to feel the pressure to buy everything new for a child. The college professor and single mother used to spend a lot more on brand names, but has realized that her nine-year-old doesn’t need as much as she thought. These days, Moffat and her son are all about reducing and reusing. “He doesn’t need a crisp, new pencil and an untouched eraser. We can go through our supplies at home and last year’s pencil case.”
Moorhouse points out that many items don’t need to be replaced, including water bottles and backpacks that are still in good condition.
Maria Smith, an Edmonton-based personal finance blogger at Handful of Thoughts and mom of two, labels all of her kids’ school supplies to make sure they don’t end up in the lost and found. “I still have pencil crayons from when I was in school, because my parents labelled everything,” she says. “Not everything has to be brand new all the time.”
If you do have to purchase supplies and clothing, it’s important to have a strategy, Moorhouse says. Make a list of what’s needed and create a budget so you know what you want to spend on each item. She recommends looking at the secondary market for deals.
“There are so many parents out there getting rid of stuff from their kids so they can buy new stuff,” Moorhouse says, “and you can get it for a crazy discount on Facebook Marketplace or other secondary-market platforms.”
Shelley Garwood, a 43-year-old realtor in Toronto and single mom of three, loves to go thrift shopping with her 17-year-old. “My middle child is going into Grade 12 and for him and his peers, thrifting is the coolest thing,” she says. At the beginning of the school year, she gives him $100 to go to Value Village. “Their own style and individuality really comes out at this age, so I find that thrifting is a fun way to explore that.” She suggests finding local thrift stores and checking them often. “You would be surprised what people donate.”
Moffat also likes to shop at second-hand retailer Once Upon A Child, and takes hand-me-downs from other local moms. “We share and pass down clothing, and there’s no shame in that,” she says. “It feels good to help each other and cut back on overconsumption.”
If you can’t find what you need at home or on the second-hand market, be sure to do some research before hitting up the big-box stores. “I shop around and compare prices, because a lot of places will run sales for back to school,” Smith says. She also uses apps like Flipp, which allows you to view flyers and price match on your phone.
Moorhouse says it’s often easier to shop for new items online, especially when you have a specific list, to avoid impulse buys. If you do want to splurge on a cool new pair of shoes for your kid, ask yourself if you can afford it, she says. “If not, then something else has to go.”
When Moffat’s son wanted a new pair of shark-themed Crocs, she waited for a sale to buy them. She also took stock of his wardrobe before buying new clothes. “I’ve learned not to buy for the whole school year at the beginning, because he might outgrow all of it in three months,” she says. Since her son wears a uniform to school, she bought a few shirts for 50 per cent off.
Moffat has also signed up for loyalty programs with some retailers who provide rewards points that can be used toward purchases, and/or special discount codes and coupons sent via email from time to time.
If your child needs a laptop or some other kind of tech gear for grade school, Moorhouse recommends buying a cheaper model. “Don’t get them the most expensive one, because technology changes so quickly, and also they’re kids — they’re going to drop it or spill on it.” Purchase a model that won’t break the bank, she says, and don’t go for the nicest technology until they can pay for it and understand how important is to keep it safe and clean.
Extracurricular activities can also be costly at the start of the school year. “Usually with extracurriculars, you’re looking at registration fees and maybe costume or uniform fees,” Smith says. You should also consider increased costs around transportation if you’ll be going out of town for games or competitions. “There’s a lot more planning involved and lots of those little secret costs,” she says, which may not be feasible for some families.
At one point, Moffat went into “overconsumption mode” about extracurriculars, thinking her son needed to learn different languages, play a team sport and do arts and crafts. “I thought, ‘If I’m a good mom, you have to have all these different talents,’ ” she says. Then she noticed that other kids in the neighbourhood had talents just from playing and exploring outside.
Now, Moffat looks to the city of Toronto for activities for her son. “Some of the drop-in activities are free,” she says, and they take advantage of the city’s parks and recreation programs, too.
Smith also suggests checking out weekend camps or planning ahead for March break camps, which can be more affordable than a weekly extracurricular activity (especially if your child is a little uncertain about committing). Schools also offer a lot of clubs and intramural sports where kids can make social connections.
Moffat says her son still gets lured into wanting to “buy all of the things” sometimes when he’s watching YouTubers, but she’s always been open and communicative with him about money. She began talking to him about finances when he was in kindergarten, letting him use money to count and identify patterns. “I started the money conversations really young because I didn’t want him to have the same problems I had,” she says. “I’m teaching him about budgeting and I show him, ‘If we don’t buy lunch while we’re at Wonderland, we can put it toward season passes for next year.’”
Moorhouse says it’s a great idea to be open about money with your children. “When you’re at the store and they say, ‘Buy me this,’ explain the situation to them instead of just saying, ‘We can’t afford it.’ ”
Let them know you have a certain amount of money that you’re going to spend, and that you don’t want to go beyond that. “If you give them the opportunity to be part of the conversation, they’ll feel empowered and they’ll understand more. Kids are smarter than you think.”
Altogether, Moffat spent less than $200 on back-to-school costs for her son this year. “He can find creative ways to play and enjoy life without me buying every block, every Lego and every dinosaur toy that was ever invented. I don’t need to get sucked into every marketing ploy to define myself as a mom.”