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
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.