8 practical ways to save on back-to-school shopping

Certain items appear on school supply lists year after year. Colouring pencils, rulers, and pencil sharpeners are just a few of the usual suspects. To avoid wasting money (and to show a little love for our planet), try making a list of items your child can reuse. With a little effort, you can make them look just like new:

• Clean erasers with a cotton cloth

• Tear out the used pages of a notebook and freshen up the cover with fun wrapping paper (in the colour requested by the teacher)

• Decorate old pencil cases

• Buy pencil extenders so that stubby pencils don’t go to waste

• Etc.

Often, schools request a few supplies in large quantities, such as boxes of 12 or 24 pencils. One way to encourage your child to use their materials sparingly is to keep a replacement stock at home (if the school permits it). This way, your child can bring two or three pencils to school, and you can provide them with more once they are used up, lost, or broken.

Within the same sibling group (or between cousins, friends, neighbours, etc.), it is possible to optimize the use of supplies. To do this, simply pass down the items that the older sibling no longer needs to the younger one, and so on. This way, it is possible to save on the purchase of various items, such as:

• Textbooks

• Dictionaries and reference books

• Pencil cases

• Sports clothing

• Musical instruments

• Backpacks

• Calculators

• Lunchboxes

• Art aprons

• Etc.

By sharing and reusing these items among family members or close acquaintances, everyone can benefit from them without the need for additional purchases, which can lead to significant cost savings.

It’s no secret that buying wholesale means major savings. But who really needs 100 pencils or 50 geometry sets? No one! That is, unless you’re buying for more than one family. A growing number of schools are giving parents the option to buy school supplies collectively and save big. If group purchasing options aren’t available at your child’s school, consider setting up your own system:

• Team up with a few other parents (they could be friends of yours or parents of kids in your child’s class)

• Make a list of school supplies that everyone in the group needs

• Buy the supplies in bulk

• Split the supplies and the bill

• Etc.

In the days leading up to the start of the school year, product availability and promotions tend to dwindle. To get the best bargains, it’s a good idea to plan ahead. Here are some ideas on where to start:

• Online flyers

• Coupons and promotional codes

• Price comparison apps

• Discount websites

• Garage sales and second-hands shops

• Used-goods sites (e.g., Kijiji, Marketplace)

• Etc.

To avoid the need to repurchase lost items, using personalized labels on your child's belongings can be very practical. Furthermore, by inviting your child to choose their own labels, apply them themself, or add their own personal touch, you allow them to unleash their creativity and practise their fine motor skills.

This same good habit proves to be very useful at home as well. By organizing materials in well-identified containers, you and your child can avoid searching for items or resorting to buying ones that are already somewhere in the house (but misplaced!).

Preparing for back-to-school shopping is a golden opportunity to introduce your child to some important financial concepts, such as consumption, budgeting, and personal savings.. This will help them understand from a young age that money is a limited resource to be used responsibly. Here are some suggestions in this regard:

• Invite your child to sort through last year's supplies, group together the items that are still in good condition, and cross them off the list of school supplies to avoid unnecessary purchases.

• Involve your child in the planning process by looking over the list of supplies and setting a realistic budget. This will help your child develop more autonomy and make informed choices.

• Talk to your child about the importance of saving and its benefits, such as saving for things they really want later on.

• Set a specific budget and explain to your child why it is essential to stick to it. You can also discuss the option of purchasing higher-quality items that will last longer.

• Encourage your child to compare prices and look for the best deals. This will help them become a more informed consumer in the future.

• Raise your child's awareness of the environmental impact of overconsumption. You can explain to them how choosing quality and local products contributes to reducing their own carbon footprint. Furthermore, by encouraging them to practise more reduction, recycling, and reusing, you will help them understand that it is not always necessary (and sometimes not recommended) to buy new items every year.

• Praise your child and value their frugal decisions when they show prudence in their purchasing choices. This will encourage them to continue making responsible financial decisions.

• Be open to their questions by responding honestly and in a way that meets their level of understanding.

• Etc.

That’s right, trading hasn’t gone out of style! Let’s say you have too much of something and not enough of something else, while your neighbour has the opposite problem. Why not make a trade? It’s a win-win situation! For example, you could swap a lunchbox for a well-stocked pencil case. Reach out to people you know to see who might have items to exchange:

• Family members

• Friends

• Neighbours

• Parents of your child’s classmates

• Communities on social media

• Etc.