Back-to-school shopping: How to save time and money

The stats related to back-to-school shopping are enough to make you want to redo Math 10. While overall spending on school supplies among Canadians is set to climb four per cent over this year over last, 90 per cent of Canadian shoppers will be buying on a budget and 79 per cent will be looking to the web to save money on school stuff.

According to Ernst & Young, positive economic indicators and increased consumer confidence are driving parents to snap up things like clothing, shoes and stationary, bringing back-to-school spending to the country’s highest level since the 2008 recession.

A Visa Canada survey, meanwhile, found that 90 per cent of shoppers will be looking online for deals. Respondents cited cheaper prices (57 per cent) and better sales and promotions (42 per cent) as the main reasons for purchasing school-related items online.

Canadians plan to spend an average of $325 in store and $163 online on school supplies (with pens, pencils, and notebooks being people’s top priorities).

And get this: 87 per cent of those surveyed by Visa Canada admitted to “showrooming”-- looking at items in-store before buying them for less online. Fifty-eight per cent said they’d need at least three shopping trips to find everything they need.

But enough of this back-to-school silliness. Here are a few ways to save time and money when it comes to buying all those things that end up weighing down your kids’ back pack.

Shop at home
Sure, the list that your child’s school provides asks for two dozen HB pencils, but that doesn’t mean you have to go out and buy a new pack every fall. Send your kids on a scavenger hunt throughout the house – in their closets, desks, side tables, that drawer of junk in your kitchen – and round up all the spare pencils they can find. You may well be able to scratch that item off your list. Do the same for pens, paints, pencil sharpeners, erasers, glue sticks, rulers and the like.

Ask around
Further to the “shop at home” philosophy, ask your parents, grandparents and empty-nester relatives if they happen to have any suitable supplies on hand to spare.

Stay focused
When you do hit the store, have a list front and centre and do not be swayed by fancy displays or even seemingly good deals. If you see a 2-for-1 sale on watercolour paint sets but your Grade 1 son doesn’t in fact need one, don’t bother.

Earn cash back
More and more cash-back shopping sites are popping up; if you do a lot of shopping online, it could be well worth your while to check out these resources to not only save money but also to pocket some.

Buy in bulk
Maybe you need computer paper, notepads, or pens-but not necessarily enough for a family of eight. Team up with a friend and split the cost of a bumper pack of binders to save.

Scour the web
Craigslist, Kijiji, eBay, and the like might have that lap top, gadget, or sturdy back pack you’re seeking for far less than what a new one would cost you.

Swap
Whether it’s clothes, bags, or sports gear, there’s a good chance that your friends with kids have stuff they don’t need anymore and that you could use. Get a few parents together and swap your stuff.

Wait
Yes, it’s important to set a good example for your kids by showing them you’re organized, but do they really need every last item on the first day of school? If you can hold out until the first weekend after school starts – or even later with the teacher’s blessing – you might find yourself facing a slew of fantastic sales as retailers try to unload left-over merchandise.