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.

B次元官网网址淓ven on the sale racks, a pair of sweatpants at SportChek, theyB次元官网网址檙e still $25 a pair. You used to be able to go and buy a pair of sweatpants for $10,B次元官网网址� said the Calgary-based mother of two. B次元官网网址淚 am shocked at the (price) increase of kidsB次元官网网址� clothes.B次元官网网址�

Hicke increased her sonB次元官网网址檚 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 wasnB次元官网网址檛 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 arenB次元官网网址檛 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 B次元官网网址� or more B次元官网网址� 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.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e not just going out to stores and making those impulse buys. TheyB次元官网网址檙e really putting a lot more thought and mindfulness into what they are purchasing and what they need,B次元官网网址� said Michelle Wasylyshen, a spokesperson for the council.

B次元官网网址淲hat can they maybe get by without this year? What did they buy last year that can make it through another year?B次元官网网址�

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

For items kids canB次元官网网址檛 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 doesnB次元官网网址檛 mean saving wasnB次元官网网址檛 still a priority for them.

B次元官网网址淰alue is top of mind for our parent customers when they shop with us and more so in this year than ever before,B次元官网网址� said Rania Husseini, Indigo Books & Music Inc.B次元官网网址檚 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 B次元官网网址渁n accessible price point.B次元官网网址�

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

Sally Chan, the retail giantB次元官网网址檚 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.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the demand for technology thatB次元官网网址檚 really kind of stretching the parentB次元官网网址檚 budget a little bit more than in the past,B次元官网网址� 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 B次元官网网址渆xponentially expensiveB次元官网网址� levels she has seen recently.

B次元官网网址淚 am not seeing a lot of savings, to be honest,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淚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.B次元官网网址�

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 B次元官网网址渘ot pickyB次元官网网址� about brands so she can find savings in the dollar store aisles.

B次元官网网址淚 can tell him go get all the pencils and pens that you want, and heB次元官网网址檒l just go and grab everything he needs and heB次元官网网址檚 always sub-$10.B次元官网网址�