Did you know that in 2022, Canadians spent $661 on average on back-to-school shopping? Isn't that a lot to pay for a box of crayons and a zip-up binder?
Maybe things have changed since I was in school (other than just inflation in Canada), but can't we all agree that dropping over $600 per year is a little ridiculous?
Now that we have the average cost, here are some tips to rein the spending for the upcoming school year.
Key Takeaways
- The average cost for back-to-school shopping has gone over $600.
- Back-to-school shopping is more expensive on average due to inflation, changing school habits, and poor decision making.
- Some ways to curb spending include reusing old supplies, buying second-hand, budgeting, and having the right credit card.
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Why is back-to-school shopping so expensive now?
Here are some things that have changed (often for the worse) when it comes to your annual August back-to-school shopping spree.
- Inflation has driven the price of goods up at every store we shop at, meaning school supplies simply cost more.
- We want to make sure our kids have everything they need to succeed, and buying without thinking drives up costs.
- Suggested school supplies lists sometimes list a lot more supplies than a kid needs.
- Electronics are more prevalent than ever. When I was in school, the most expensive thing was my trusted TI-84 calculator.
- Some parents also include expensive new clothes and shoes for kids to fit in – this may explain my dumpy outfits being partially to blame for me being such a loser in school.
University is its own animal. Aside from tuition, the cost of books, lab supplies, and online subscriptions will make a #2 pencil and some lined paper look like peanuts.
Are you a Canadian student in your 2nd year of post-secondary education or higher? Click here to learn more about our $2,000 scholarship.
But for this article, we'll focus a bit more on the young'uns. Let's have a look at some of the supplies that an elementary school student would need once it's time to hit the books.
2023 back-to-school supply list (Grade 5-6)
Note: These prices are through Walmart only (not on sale) and based on prices in Ontario. Prices depend on where you shop, but on average, Walmart generally has decent prices. You could save money by shopping around, but could also pay more.
| School Supplies List | Cost |
|---|---|
| 2 large white erasers | $2.27 |
| 2 large glue sticks | $2.27 |
| 1 package 24 pencil crayons | $9.57 |
| 1 package of markers | $5.87 |
| 8-10 dry erase markers | $11.48 |
| 1 pair scissors | $3.98 |
| 1 metric ruler | $0.87 |
| 20 HB# 2 pencils | $0.88 |
| 1 pencil sharpener | $2.97 |
| 10 pens (blue, black, red) | $1.98 |
| 15 duo-tangs | $14.70 |
| 3 pack of sticky notes | $8.12 |
| 1 package 8 dividers for binder | $3.98 |
| 1 calculator | $12.97 |
| 4 highlighters (different colours) | $1.98 |
| 1 pencil case | $5.38 |
| Book/school bags | $29.97 |
| Sketchbook | $7.97 |
| 24 pack of pencil crayons | $4.97 |
| 1 small package graph paper (1cm) | $6.88 |
| 2 packages of 200 sheets lined paper (looseleaf) | $11.28 |
| 1 coiled notebook (150-200 pages) | $3.08 |
| 12 page protectors | $24.50 |
| 3 lined Hilroy scribblers (32 page) | $5.36 |
| 3x 1" binders (no zipper) | $5.99 |
| 2 boxes of tissues | $4.00 |
| Protractor and math set | $3.98 |
| 1 deck of playing cards (for math activities) | $5.97 |
| English Dictionary | $26.64 |
| French/English Dictionary | $24.58 |
| Thesaurus | $20.20 |
| USB drive (memory stick) | $10.42 |
| Hardcover journal | $15.99 |
| Indoor/gym shoes (non-marking soles) | $35.31 |
| Lunch bag | $10.97 |
| Total before tax: | $347.33 |
This is all before tax.
And this doesn't even include new back-to-school clothes, electronics, or lunch essentials like sandwich bags and food.
If you want to get really outrageous, just think about a first-year university student, their tuition, books, and other school fees.
If that makes your wallet whimper, we've got some good news for you. We've got a bunch of awesome tips that won't see you breaking the bank every single year you send your kid back to the classroom.
4 tips to save money on back-to-school shopping
Dropping $300+ per kid sounds unfathomable, but not to worry – we've got 4 small tips that can lead to big savings.
1. Make a budget and stick to it
Making a budget is one of the most important skills that you need for everyday money management (and an excellent skill to pass on to your kids).
You can see that though a lot of the items on the sample back-to-school list above are under $10 (some of them are as low as $2) – if you add it all up, it winds up creeping over $300. From there, you can see how important planning is.
But of course, when you get to the store, it's hard to say "no" to your child. Sometimes, you'll have to be the bearer of bad news but can make it up in other ways.
As we mentioned, getting your kids involved in the budgeting process would be an excellent exercise. As long as they're following the budget themselves, then they can decide on which other supplies they could save money on to get that name-brand backpack.
2. See what you have around home that you can reuse
This is probably the way that my family saved a ton of money when it came to back-to-school shopping. Pens "borrowed" from hotels and office supplies that may have come from their office can 100% be used as school supplies.
Second, once your child has gone through a year of school, what's stopping them from reusing the same stationery from the previous year? A pencil's a pencil, and you can just keep using a pen until the ink runs dry.
Some of the pens that I've cycled through in my school years are still in service today, and things like erasers last for years. Non-expendable supplies like rulers and calculators can be used for decades. My father had a protractor/math set that he had from "the old country" that worked perfectly fine even though it was from the 1960's.
Added bonus: It should also help you declutter. A win-win-win situation.
3. Get creative and do some second-hand or vintage shopping
As I mentioned earlier, my parents never really bought me "new outfits for the school year" since it wasn't really in our budget. But if your kids are into getting a fresh set of t-shirts or some new jeans, it doesn't have to come at a massive cost.
Luckily for you, thrifting has become super popular so you'll be able to both save a ton of money and deck your kids out with the freshest finds. Also, it's better for the environment in the end, so reducing your consumption of clothes every year and reusing some previously loved threads will help everyone.
4. Use your credit card so you'll be earning valuable rewards on all your purchases
No matter how much you can save, it's inevitable that you'll be spending some money.
But with the right credit card, you'll be able to get a cut of your spending back in either rewards or cash back. We'll get into all the best back-to-school credit cards in the section below.
Best credit cards for back-to-school shopping
Very few credit cards offer any bonuses on school supplies (though some business credit cards offer extra cash back on office supplies), so we'll focus mainly on cards with high base earn rates or ones that grant bonuses at grocery stores.
This is because you can usually get school-related things at places like Superstore or Walmart (though if you want to get them from the latter, it'll have to be a Walmart Supercentre since only those count as grocery stores).
A Mastercard with high earn rates
Because this card will earn you 5% back at Walmart Supercentres, we had to talk about the BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard.
Other than the 5% at the grocery store, your everyday earn rates will look like this:
- 5% cash back on groceries, up to $500 in monthly spend
- 4% cash back on transit, up to $300 in monthly spend
- 3% cash back on gas, up to $300 in monthly spend
- 2% cash back on recurring bills, up to $500 in monthly spend
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
It's an excellent all-around card that will keep filling up your cash back balance all year round. But if you're willing to make the switch right now for the back-to-school season, you can earn a big cash back bonus with their welcome offer – up to $480 cash back in the first 12 months.
That's up to $260 back with no effort at all. Combined with our back-to-school money saving tips, you could end up ahead of all those people who throw their money away, all while using the wrong credit card.
That's what the bank offers. But wait till you see what we offer. If you sign up for this card through us, you'll get an additional $150 in GeniusCash, meaning you can be even further ahead when it comes to the back-to-school rush.
$150 GeniusCash + Exclusive: Up to $480 bonus cash back + First year fee waived.*
GC: $150
Back-to-school credit card hack – buy gift cards for the ultimate savings
If you feel constrained when it comes to buying things just from Superstore and Walmart remember this – you can buy gift cards at one of those grocery stores and still be eligible for the full cash back bonus.
We've seen gift cards to popular back-to-school stores such as Winners, Staples, and clothing stores on the shelf at places like Superstore, so in the end, you'll still be getting max value.
A super-flexible no fee option
Since back-to-school isn't really a bonus category per se, you could also just go for a super flexible credit card that can touch on a bunch of custom categories.
With the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card or the Tangerine World Mastercard, you can choose from one of these 10 different spend categories to get a 2% return on:
Aside from the grocery bonus, you can shop for furniture or prep for home improvement if your kid is moving into a dorm. You have a ton of options with this card.
×1 Award winner GC: $125
1x Award winner The only real difference between these 2 cards is that the World version has better insurance coverage and mobile device coverage (if you end up buying them a phone).
If you do want the World card, you'll need to make sure you meet its income requirements of either $60,000 personal or $100,000 household (the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card has a much lower personal income requirement of $12,000).
GC: $125
A note about the best credit card in Canada
Normally, the best credit card, the American Express Cobalt Card, is our top choice for most "best of" articles, but since you can't use it at Superstore (and Amex doesn't count Walmart as a grocery store), you won't be able to take advantage of its massive grocery store returns of up to 10%. You'll still be able to get 2% back on everything, which is still pretty good.
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8x Award winner Transfer points to Aeroplan and 7 other travel partners with Canada's #1 credit card.*
Take advantage of university scholarships to save big money
Of course with university, there's more than just worrying about university school supplies. There's tuition, textbooks, and room and board to consider.
Thankfully there are plenty of scholarships out there that can help. And we've got one of our own.
We're giving away $2,000 to one lucky student. To qualify, you'll need to meet these requirements:
- be in at least your second year of studies,
- have a GPA of at least 3.5,
- going to a Canadian university or college, and
- be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Don't procrastinate! If you miss the deadline, you'll have to wait until next year to apply.
What are your back-to-school shopping tips?
How do you deal with pricey school supplies and long "must have" lists?
Do you have any tips to share with our readers about back-to-school shopping?
Please let us know in the comments below.
FAQ
How much can back-to-school shopping cost for grade school kids?
Based on a typical shopping list, we've determined that the typical grade schooler supplies will cost $347.33, not including any sales tax.
Does creditcardGenius have a scholarship?
We most certainly do. For one lucky student, we're giving away a $2,000 scholarship to use towards their education. You can learn more about our scholarship and the requirements for it here.
What kind of student discounts are there?
There are plenty of ways to save more as a student. Many retailers offer discounts for full time students. We've listed 32 different discounts here.
My kid needs a student credit card. What should they get?
We have a full breakdown of the best student credit cards on our site. But if you want a simple answer, their best option is the BMO CashBack Mastercard for students.
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