Two weekends ago, Anne Zarifa and her children sat down to make a list of clothes they'd need for the coming school year after sifting through their closets to get rid of anything too small or worn out.
The Montreal mother of three says leaving back-to-school shopping until the last minute can be a costly error for parents — one that's more important than ever to avoid in a time of high inflation. Zarifa said she tries to get ahead of the annual Labour Day weekend rush by starting her spree in early August, which also leaves more time to search for deals.
But Zarifa said the biggest key to her strategy for saving money each back-to-school season is shopping second-hand. She relies on online platform Poshmark, where sellers advertise items they no longer need at a usually more affordable price than Zarifa said she finds at her local mall. According to NerdWallet, Canadian parents who plan to back-to-school shop this year expect to spend an average of $524 on those purchases, as more than a quarter intend to buy fewer school supplies than in previous years due to inflation.Natasha Macmillan, director of everyday banking at Ratehub.ca, said it's clear Canadian parents are "feeling that pinch" this year amid a growing cost of living.
"And that doesn't have to always be in August, whether it's starting that early or even waiting a week or two into September," she said.For Robert Malcolm, it's all about shopping early. In his case, sometimes up to a year in advance. "I know it takes a little bit of due diligence. But that's basically how I've been able to save a ridiculous amount of money," said Malcolm.
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