A few weeks before the start of the school year, the marked increase in the price of school supplies does not go unnoticed by many parents who are adopting strategies to reduce the bill.
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“This is my fourth child, so compared to the other three, actually, this year, I usually get away with it for around $90 and now it’s $130 per child,” says Sarah Nex, at the outlet of a large office supply chain in the Lebourgneuf sector, in Quebec.
She noticed that some products like sheet protectors and dividers are more expensive than before.
“I didn’t expect to get 130 piastres sooner,” laughs the mother.
She is surprised, especially since she tried to predict the blow to thwart inflation.
“The schoolbags, I’m going to collect those [inutilisés] of his brothers, so, on the contrary, I even bought fewer things than in previous years, because I recycle, which I didn’t do before. »
A real rise
This surge is not simply a matter of parental imagination. Statistics Canada’s consumer price index also reports a 7% jump in the price of textbooks and school supplies, from June 2021 to June 2022.
During this time, requests for help are exploding in organizations.
“It was the year that cost me the most,” said Geneviève Brière, 44, from Charlesbourg, after shopping.
She claims to have had to pay “maybe fifty dollars more” than in the past.
“There aren’t many specials,” remarked the mother of two elementary-aged boys. […] A satchel cost 12 and a half piastres, so it’s expensive when you need four or six”.
So, all means are good to save.
“In general, I like to renew the equipment so that they start fresh. I don’t recover a lot, but this year, I told myself that I was going to recover on certain things, like on Duo-Tang, things like that, ”she explains.
Allocation
She consoles herself by telling herself that the government assistance for the purchase of supplies, which is $108 per child for parents eligible for the Family Allowance, should largely cover the bill.
Looking for discounts, other consumers claim, on the contrary, that they have not felt a notable increase in their budget devoted to school materials.
“I think it’s comparatively the same price as in previous years. Of course, you have to look at the flyers, find the right discounts, in the right places. But now with the web, you can order everything online in advance,” points out Annie Chabot, from Quebec.
– With Sylvain Larocque