Tips on how not to spend a fortune on back-to-school supplies

Back-to-school shopping can bring a lot of stress and spending to parents, but two Saskatchewan bloggers say it doesn't have to.

Kathryn Lavallee and Laura Monchuk joined CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning to share some tips on how to buy supplies without breaking the bank.

"This year it was a lot less stressful," Monchuk said.

"I was glad that they had the list as soon as the end of school was out. And first of all, I went and shopped what I already had in my house. All of the things that looked pretty good … just keep it for the next year."

Monchuk found her own son often didn't use up all of his supplies by the end of the school year.

Does it need to be that brand?

Both bloggers say there's some frugal ways to decide what brand of items to get.

"I was quite struck with the specific brands that they want you to buy," Monchuk said.

Lavallee agreed, but said there is a way to still accommodate the request on the list.

Lavallee said a big part of requesting a specific brand is the size of the item.

"Because what they really want is that specific size and length of notebook," Lavallee said.

"If you know what you're looking for, you don't need that brand."

When it comes to tech items on school lists, Levallee said it can pay off to spend a bit more money at first, as high-quality brand items will often last longer.

When it comes to lunches, Lavallee said consider packing items in bento-box style kits.

"For whatever reason, when you pack a kid's lunch in a bunch of different sections, it becomes way more appealing to them."