Here's some tips for saving on back to school
Parents, retailers and shopping experts have plenty of tips to help parents save during a time of rising inflation.
“It’s quite astonishing the amount you can save,” says Dylan Palcit, vice president of sales for Monarch Basics in Windsor, Ont.
Palcit tells CTV News parents can save between 25 and 55 per cent by switching from brand names to generic or no name brands.
“These products are made in the same factories that companies like Paper Mate and Swingline products are being made but they’re branded for us and they’re at a much cheaper price,” says Palcit.
Parents should start shopping early, especially if your child is picky, according to Palcit.
“Most stores, they purchase their inventory very early in advance and they're not restocking,” notes Palcit.
He says it’s a fun time of year to be in this industry.
“A lot of kids come in here who are quite excited, which is not generally something we see in an office supply store,” says Palcit.
Consumer Reports also recommends shopping early, keeping an eye on local flyers and consider purchasing refurbished electronics.
“That can be a great way to get a good chunk of savings and the product should function just as well as something that's brand new out of the box,” according to Consumer Reports deal editor, Samantha Gordon.
And the Credit Counselling Society advises against spontaneous trips to the store.
“It’s having a game plan and planning ahead because when you run things last minute and you’re searching for convenience, that gets very expensive,” says Anne Arbour.
It’s the parents themselves, however, who also offer some of the best tips, as illustrated in a social media call-out for advice.
To help parents, here is a checklist, created by the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board to help elementary parents prep for back to school.
If any parents are struggling with the rising cost of back to school, they are encouraged to contact 211 or 311 to get a list of local agencies willing to help at this time of year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.