Price of school supplies leads to sticker shock for some Vancouver Island parents

Stephanie Won is the mother of two children on Vancouver Island, aged 10 and 13. With a new school year fast approaching, she’s been busy.

"I’m a planner so I start early," Won told CTV News on Tuesday.

This early planner has experienced sticker shock when shopping for school supplies.

"We’re seeing prices are a little bit higher," she said. "I’m expecting that they’ll probably get higher to come."

Won isn’t the only mom who got an early start this year.

Tami Brown, the mother of two school-aged children, says she's done buying school supplies "except for three glue sticks."

With school supplies out of the way, Brown's focus is on back-to-school clothes.

"We’re doing less this year than we usually would do," she said.

TIPS ON SAVING FOR SCHOOL SUPPLIES

In June, B.C.'s inflation rate sat at nearly 8 per cent.

"Everything is getting more and more expensive as we go," said Anne Arbour, director of strategic partnerships with the Credit Counselling Society.

The Credit Counselling Society has some tips to save a few dollars as prices continue to rise.

"It’s having a game plan and planning ahead because when you run things last minute, you’re searching for convenience, that gets very expensive," said Arbour.

(File Photo)

Arbour also suggests carpooling with other parents in the neighbourhood to save on gas, and to speak with friends about clothing in case they have children of different ages that you could trade clothes with.

As for school supplies, she suggests downloading an app call "Flipp," which shows you all the flyers in your neighbourhood.

COMMUNITY GROUPS

On Walmart.ca, CTV News looked into the school supply list for Grade Two students in the Greater Victoria School District. The grand total came to $118.41.

That number is out of reach for many families, which is why some community groups are trying to fill in the gap.

"We run a back-to-school backpack program. We’ve been doing this for many years," said Sarah Downey, executive director of the 1Up Victoria Single Parent Resource Centre.

That organization provides a new backpack, filled with supplies to those families that are struggling to make ends meet. That need continues to grow every year.

"Last year was our highest year, and this year has matched that," said Downey. "It might even be higher, I’m not sure where the waiting list is now."

Backpacks at the 1Up Single Parent Resource Centre in Victoria, B.C., are pictured. (CTV News)

This year, 300 backpacks are ready to go out. If more donations come in, more families will get access to the program. 

Back at the park in Langford, parents are doing their best to make their dollar go a little further.

"I sacrifice things that I want for my kids," said Brown.

It’s a choice that some parents may have to make as the price of almost everything continues to climb, with a new school year fast approaching.