The shopping carts tell the story. In aisles across Canada this August, parents are wincing at price tags, calculating mental budgets, and making tough choices about what constitutes a school “essential” versus a “nice-to-have.” For many families, the annual back-to-school ritual has transformed from exciting preparation into financial anxiety.
“I used to get everything new for both kids each September,” says Markham mother Aisha Chen, who works in healthcare administration. “This year? We’re reusing last year’s backpacks, checking Facebook Marketplace for graphing calculators, and I’m teaching my teenager about price comparison apps. It feels like a crash course in budgeting.”
Chen isn’t alone. According to a recent poll by Maru Public Opinion, nearly two-thirds of Canadian parents report experiencing financial strain due to back-to-school shopping this year. The survey reveals 64 percent of parents with school-aged children feel the pinch of inflation specifically tied to educational essentials.
The numbers tell a stark story about the compounding pressures on Canadian households. While Statistics Canada‘s latest Consumer Price Index shows overall inflation cooling to 2.5 percent, the categories that matter most for students—clothing, electronics, and school supplies—have seen much steeper increases in many cases.
School supplies alone have jumped approximately 8 percent compared to 2023, with specialty items like scientific calculators and art supplies seeing even sharper increases. Clothing retailers, facing their own supply chain challenges, have raised prices on children’s apparel by an average of 6.4 percent year-over-year, according to retail analytics firm Circana.
For families with multiple children, these percentages translate into hundreds of additional dollars. The Retail Council of Canada estimates the average family will spend between $800 and $1,200 per child on back-to-school items this year—approximately $125 more than in 2023.
“What we’re seeing is the cumulative effect of inflation over several years,” explains University of Toronto economics professor Vivian Ramirez. “Even as headline inflation numbers moderate, families are dealing with the reality that their purchasing power has been significantly eroded since 2021. A 2.5 percent inflation rate might sound manageable, but it’s coming after two years of much higher rates that have already reset price expectations upward.”
The psychological impact of these increases appears particularly acute because back-to-school shopping represents a concentrated burst of spending. Unlike grocery inflation, which households experience in smaller increments throughout the year, school supply costs hit family budgets all at once.
Retailers have responded with aggressive promotions, knowing consumers are more price-sensitive than ever. Walmart Canada reports a 23 percent increase in sales of their budget-friendly store brands for school supplies, while Staples has expanded its price-matching program and introduced more affordable options across categories.
This shift in shopping behavior represents a broader trend toward budget consciousness. The Maru poll found 78 percent of parents have changed their back-to-school shopping strategies, with 41 percent buying fewer items, 52 percent seeking out sales more aggressively, and 37 percent turning to second-hand options.
Vancouver father of three Julian Mehta has embraced this last approach wholeheartedly. “We’ve turned back-to-school prep into a treasure hunt,” he says. “My kids and I hit thrift stores, community swap meets, and online marketplaces. Not only do we save money, but they’re learning about sustainability and resourcefulness.”
Yet for many families, these adaptive strategies aren’t enough to fully offset rising costs. The financial pressure is particularly acute for single-parent households and those in regions with higher living costs. In Toronto and Vancouver, where housing expenses already consume outsized portions of family incomes, the additional burden of inflated school costs can push budgets to the breaking point.
The situation has caught the attention of policymakers. Several provinces have enhanced their school supply subsidy programs, with Alberta announcing an additional $500 per student for families below certain income thresholds. Meanwhile, the federal government’s Canada Child Benefit saw a modest 4.7 percent increase in July, though critics argue this fails to fully account for the cumulative inflation of essential childhood expenses.
Educational institutions themselves are responding unevenly. Some school boards have expanded their supply sharing programs and reduced the length of required materials lists. Others continue to expect families to provide increasingly expensive items like laptops and specialized equipment.
“There’s a growing disconnect between educational expectations and economic realities,” notes education policy researcher Samantha Wong from Simon Fraser University. “Schools are right to prepare students for a digital world, but when they require specific technology without providing sufficient support for low-income families, they risk deepening educational inequalities.”
The long-term implications of this financial squeeze extend beyond immediate budgetary concerns. Research from the C.D. Howe Institute suggests sustained inflation in educational essentials correlates with decreased participation in extracurricular activities, which can affect college applications and future opportunities.
Looking ahead, economists offer mixed forecasts. While core inflation is expected to continue moderating through 2025, supply chains for specific educational materials remain vulnerable to disruption. Paper products, in particular, face ongoing cost pressures due to mill closures and shifting production priorities.
For parents like Chen and Mehta, economic projections offer little immediate relief. They’re focused on the practical reality of getting their children equipped for the school year without derailing household finances. Their strategies—combining reuse, careful shopping, and scaled-back expectations—reflect a larger cultural shift toward pragmatic consumption.
“My kids actually seem to understand,” Chen reflects. “They see the news, they hear us talking about budgets. In a strange way, inflation has turned back-to-school shopping into a lesson about money management and priorities.”
As September approaches, that lesson—perhaps as valuable as any they’ll learn in the classroom—is one Canadian families are mastering out of necessity rather than choice.
