Back-to-school shopping more expensive, stressful for Nova Scotia parents

There’s just over a week to go before students head back to school, which means a busy and expensive time of year for Nova Scotia parents.

“You need a credit card,” Craig Marsman said while out shopping with his daughter in Halifax Tuesday.

“The lists sometimes are a little crazy because you can’t do it in one store,” said another parent, Sue Bryant.

READ MORE: Back to school: 4 common problems and solutions

Parents say the cost to get kids ready for the classroom rises every year, with many expecting to spend a few hundred dollars before the start of the 2016 year.

“There’s clothing, footwear, they want them to have one pair left at school and one for travelling. Your book bag, your lunch bag, groceries, snacks, so it’s non stop,” said Bryant.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "There's clothing, footwear, they want them to have one pair left at school and one for travelling. Your book bag, your lunch bag, groceries, snacks, so it's non stop," said Bryant.

Donna Sutton Lahmar, executive director of the Bayers Westwood Family Resource Centre, works with hundreds of families in the Halifax-area and says school shopping can be difficult on parents.

“People are really stressed,” Sutton Lahmar said. “School supplies are super expensive.”

READ MORE: Canada Child Benefit expected to boost back-to-school spending

One of the most expensive items this year for kids is shoes.

“My goal was getting a pair of sneakers under $100,” said Marsman. “It didn’t happen.”

Experts say it’s important for parents to stay within their budgets when shopping. One way to ensure that happens is to set limits and stick to your child’s needs, not wants. Sutton Lahmar also encourages people to shop around for deals and be thrifty.

“Reuse the things that you have. There are things on your school list that I’m sure the children can re-use if they had them last year,” she said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Reuse the things that you have. There are things on your school list that I'm sure the children can re-use if they had them last year," she said.

READ MORE: 5 tips for packing healthy, kid-friendly back-to-school lunches

“So maybe they’d be able to use the same backpack, some things they can use again. So, I don’t feel they need to purchase brand new of everything.”

Sutton Lahmar says her organization used to get funding from Staples to provide school supplies for 50 families in the community, however that funding ended two years ago, leaving many parents in a difficult situation.

Anyone looking to learn more about the resources offered by the centre or offer help can click here.