by Tara Deschamps
Pembina Valley Online
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.
“Even on the sale racks, a pair of sweatpants at SportChek, they’re still $25 a pair. You used to be able to go and buy a pair of sweatpants for $10,” said the Calgary-based mother of two. “I am shocked at the (price) increase of kids’ clothes.”
Hicke increased her son’s 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’t 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’t seeing any meaningful relief in their expenses.