Survey says: The cost of back-to-school shopping is going up

Some Calgary families are feeling the financial stretch of back-to-school shopping. It's a little bit expensive because the economy has so many difficult times. This mom of three says she spends $80 on the essentials like pens and binders for each of her daughters. She relies on hand-me-downs and strategic shopping to help rein in the costs. We use a backpack. We tend to overbuy when things go on sale after school starts. So then we have lots of duotangs, we have lots of loose leaf, lots of pencils. Just try to like think ahead but it is every year it's more. A survey this spring suggests Canadian parents are feeling more pinched. 91% of respondents said school items are more expensive up from 87% the year before. And nearly half said finding good deals was their biggest pressure point during back-to-school shopping. Though that number is down from the previous year. At this Calgary event, volunteers filled 2,000 backpacks with supplies for public school students. The head of the charity behind the initiative says the need for its support has grown in recent years. We do provide grocery gift cards to students as well, transit passes. We ensure that the schools can buy clothes and other supplies for students throughout the year. For Leah Long, back-to-school shopping will always be a delicate balance between her heart and her wallet. I want them to have nice things. I want them to be proud of what they have. I don't want them to be embarrassed about anything. But at the same time, I don't want to pay $60 for a t-shirt. So it's hard. Thousands of students head back to class August 31st. Terri Trembath, CBC News, Calgary.