When August rolled around, April Hicke realized the $100 she typically gives her 13-year-old son to update his wardrobe in time for school to start was no longer enough.

害羞草研究所淓ven on the sale racks, a pair of sweatpants at SportChek, they害羞草研究所檙e still $25 a pair. You used to be able to go and buy a pair of sweatpants for $10,害羞草研究所� said the Calgary-based mother of two. 害羞草研究所淚 am shocked at the (price) increase of kids害羞草研究所� clothes.害羞草研究所�

Hicke increased her son害羞草研究所檚 budget to $200, taught him about looking for deals and used an annual Patagonia sale and resale sites like Poshmark to find savings on such big-ticket items as winter coats.

While it wasn害羞草研究所檛 the first time she has taken these steps to reduce her back-to-school shopping bill, the strategies she and other parents are using come with a renewed importance this year because even as inflation has eased, Canadians aren害羞草研究所檛 seeing any meaningful relief in their expenses.

The cost of staples like food have soared, leaving less spare cash for binders, books and new school looks.

Despite many having less or no wiggle room in their budgets, 85.7 per cent of the 8,977 Canadians surveyed on behalf of the Retail Council of Canada in July predicted they would spend as much 害羞草研究所� or more 害羞草研究所� on back to school than they did last year.

About 73 per cent of those respondents planned to spend more than $50 and about 43 per cent said they would exceed $100.

An increasing number planned to shop early, too.

害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e not just going out to stores and making those impulse buys. They害羞草研究所檙e really putting a lot more thought and mindfulness into what they are purchasing and what they need,害羞草研究所� said Michelle Wasylyshen, a spokesperson for the council.

害羞草研究所淲hat can they maybe get by without this year? What did they buy last year that can make it through another year?害羞草研究所�

The survey found the top categories shoppers plan to spend on are school supplies, clothing, books and then electronics.

For items kids can害羞草研究所檛 do without, parents said they were scouring flyers for deals, browsing clearance racks and turning to second-hand stores or social media groups.

A survey of 1,014 Canadians conducted on behalf of NerdWallet in July found 53 per cent of back-to-school shoppers would seek sales, 26 per cent would use coupons and 20 per cent planned to thrift.

About 32 per cent said they would buy all new school supplies, but that doesn害羞草研究所檛 mean saving wasn害羞草研究所檛 still a priority for them.

害羞草研究所淰alue is top of mind for our parent customers when they shop with us and more so in this year than ever before,害羞草研究所� said Rania Husseini, Indigo Books & Music Inc.害羞草研究所檚 senior vice-president of print, in an email.

So far this back-to-school season, she has noticed a higher proportion of sales coming from books that are at 害羞草研究所渁n accessible price point.害羞草研究所�

Walmart Canada has seen a lot of demand this year for wireless headphones, laptops and printers.

Sally Chan, the retail giant害羞草研究所檚 director of strategic commercial planning, attributed some of the spike to the rise in online schooling that the COVID-19 pandemic brought, introducing many parents to a whole new level of education costs.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 the demand for technology that害羞草研究所檚 really kind of stretching the parent害羞草研究所檚 budget a little bit more than in the past,害羞草研究所� she said.

To reduce the hit to her wallet as much as possible, Alison Balfour planned to take a wait-and-see approach to back to school shopping.

Once classes begin for her two boys and they get a better sense of their needs and tastes, the Calgary mother said she would begin shopping. By then, she hopes prices will have come down from the 害羞草研究所渆xponentially expensive害羞草研究所� levels she has seen recently.

害羞草研究所淚 am not seeing a lot of savings, to be honest,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淚f we are seeing inflation go down and the economy is supposed to be recovering, why are we still seeing these costs especially in grocery stores and things for school? Nothing seems to be going down.害羞草研究所�

Hicke had a similar observation. The packs of three T-shirts she used to buy her sons at Zara now cost $40 instead of $25 and shoes, pants and other apparel essentials have risen, too.

A silver lining, she said, was that her younger boy is still 害羞草研究所渘ot picky害羞草研究所� about brands so she can find savings in the dollar store aisles.

害羞草研究所淚 can tell him go get all the pencils and pens that you want, and he害羞草研究所檒l just go and grab everything he needs and he害羞草研究所檚 always sub-$10.害羞草研究所�