Montrealmom.com
  • Being Mom
    • Planning /Pregnant
    • Mom of Infant
    • Mom of Toddler
    • Mom of Schoolage Child
    • Mom Of Teen
    • Mom of Twins or More
  • Life
    • Time Management
    • Work & Entrepreneurship
    • Family & Relationships
    • Childcare & Education
    • Money
    • Me.
  • Fun
    • Event Calendar
    • Crafts & Activities at Home
    • Organized Activities
    • Outings
    • Holidays & Celebrations
    • Disney Fun
  • Food
    • Recipes
      • All
      • Baby Food Recipes
      • Beef
      • Beverages
      • Breads
      • Desserts
      • Eggs & Dairy
      • Fish
      • Pasta
      • Poultry
      • Salads
      • Sauces & Dressings
      • Sides
      • Snacks
      • Soups
      • Vegetarian
    • Menu Planning
    • Nutrition
    • Entertaining
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Safety
    • Home & Garden
    • Holidays & Celebrations
    • Weight Watchers
    • Shopping
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • DIY
    • Living Green
    • Montreal
  • Travel
    • Family
    • Travel Tips
    • Disney
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Entertainment
    • Apps & Tech
    • Automotive
    • Products & Services
    • Toys
  • Directory
    • Activity Centers
    • Caterering / Pret À Manger
    • Classes
    • Home Services
    • Parties and Related Services
    • Photographers
    • Professional Services
    • Services
    • Services for Mom
  • Work with Us
  • About
    • About Us
    • In the Media
  • Contact

Montrealmom.com

  • Being Mom
    • Planning /Pregnant
    • Mom of Infant
    • Mom of Toddler
    • Mom of Schoolage Child
    • Mom Of Teen
    • Mom of Twins or More
  • Life
    • Time Management
    • Work & Entrepreneurship
    • Family & Relationships
    • Childcare & Education
    • Money
    • Me.
  • Fun
    • Event Calendar
    • Crafts & Activities at Home
    • Organized Activities
    • Outings
    • Holidays & Celebrations
    • Disney Fun
  • Food
    • Recipes
      • All
      • Baby Food Recipes
      • Beef
      • Beverages
      • Breads
      • Desserts
      • Eggs & Dairy
      • Fish
      • Pasta
      • Poultry
      • Salads
      • Sauces & Dressings
      • Sides
      • Snacks
      • Soups
      • Vegetarian
    • Menu Planning
    • Nutrition
    • Entertaining
  • Lifestyle
    • Health & Safety
    • Home & Garden
    • Holidays & Celebrations
    • Weight Watchers
    • Shopping
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • DIY
    • Living Green
    • Montreal
  • Travel
    • Family
    • Travel Tips
    • Disney
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Entertainment
    • Apps & Tech
    • Automotive
    • Products & Services
    • Toys
  • Directory
    • Activity Centers
    • Caterering / Pret À Manger
    • Classes
    • Home Services
    • Parties and Related Services
    • Photographers
    • Professional Services
    • Services
    • Services for Mom
  • Work with Us
  • About
    • About Us
    • In the Media
  • Contact
Shopping

My Canada vs. USA School Supply Shopping Comparison – You May Be Surprised…

written by Tanya Toledano

Our family went to the the US last weekend for a little getaway.

We have been buying school supplies in the US for the last 2-3 years, and according to my calculations, we have come out ahead. Enough ahead that even with the knowledge of the exchange rate today, we thought we’d still come out ahead.

In fact, I even spoke about it last year in a Radio interview with Tommy on CJAD. This year, because of the exchange rate, I decided to take note of a few items at Walmart Canada to be able to assess whether or not it was worth it to buy in the US, given the exchange rate.

It may seem complicated but when you’re buying school supplies for 4 kids, small savings can add up quickly 🙂

I snapped a few photos as this was my best way to remember.  I didn’t bother photographing notebooks or paper as I didn’t think these would be areas of concern – we usually buy notebooks in the US at a GREAT price. I remembered buying our looseleaf at Target(Canada) last year for $0.10 / pkg and had this as my barometer for comparison.

When we got to the US, we loaded up on the 70-page spiral notebooks at $0.17 USD. This, IMHO is a great deal. It was a production of getting multiple notebooks in every possible colour – Our family is big on colour coding – it’s an easy, visual way to keep organized and worth the up-front effort for ease throughout the year.  In total we bought 60 notebooks to be divided amongst my 3 high-schoolers.

We bought A LOT of binders (the zip-up kind) for the high-schoolers as well.  Binders are not cheap here or there, I estimated they’d net out to be about the same price, but these were in front of me, good quality and multiple colours so that they could colour-code and so our twin boys starting high school could avoid getting their stuff mixed-up.

Then I started to look for other items:

IMG_1036Coloured pencils: Same brand, same qty as in Canada $0.97 USD vs. $0.75 CAD – WHAAAAT????

Forget the exchange rate! The ticketed price in Canada is lower!  This surprised me.

Markers- Prices were out of bounds…we decided to purchase in Montreal.

Looseleaf – $0.89 USD for 200 sheets – even without knowing the price back home, I knew it would definitely be cheaper than that, especially after adjusting for the exchange rate.

IMG_1042

Mini- Staplers: $1.97 USD vs. $2 Canadian.  We opted to pay the GST & PST vs US Sales Tax plus a 30% exchange rate.

I heard a family approaching the coloured pencils speaking French and I felt it was my duty to share with them what I had discovered.  The Mom was just as surprised as I was- She had noticed the same thing on different items She told me that the spiral notebooks in Canada were at $0.05 CAD – and they were 80 pages, not 70! I asked at what store and she said she thought it was at Walmart.  She also found the looseleaf at $0.10 / package. ( I knew it!)

We still bought the notebooks, we’d invested a lot of time in the colour-coding and were not even sure what store we might find these $0.05 notebooks in. The savings weren’t going to be worth the craziness of sifting through boxes of notebooks in the cramped aisles…

We came back to Canada and went to Walmart on Monday.
80-page spiral notebooks were indeed $0.05 and we bought looseleaf at $0.10 (limit of 8 per client)IMG_1104IMG_1107

 

 

 

 

 

 

******

The 32-page staple-bound notebooks were also at $0.05 each – We bought a bunch for good measure 🙂

 

IMG_1105

 

Markers were cheaper in Canada, highlighters were cheaper in Canada…overall, the message is:

When it comes to school supplies this year – KEEP IT CANADIAN!

Once again, I felt it is my duty to share 😉

By the way- If you have found any awesome deals on supplies, please feel free to post them in the comments section below!

Let’s try to keep the #CartRage at a minimum this year, knowing that with all of these savings we can afford to treat ourselves to a McCafé or a McFlurry on the way out!

Happy Shopping!

Tanya

 

My Canada vs. USA School Supply Shopping Comparison – You May Be Surprised… was last modified: February 4th, 2016 by Tanya Toledano
3 comments
0
Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
Tanya Toledano

previous post
In Need of Some Indoor Adventure? 4 Great Choices to Take in on Netflix
next post
A New Bonding Ritual With My Teenage Daughter : Gilmore Girls Weekly on Netflix

You may also like

Moving? Need boxes? Check out GOBAC.ca!

May 25, 2012

HOLD THE DATE: Shopping From The Heart 2015 – 5 Reasons to Attend #SFTH2015!!!

April 20, 2015

THE NORTH FACE…at 50% off Retail…Need I Say More?

September 12, 2013

Maternity Clothing & Accessories

March 9, 2010

‘Tis the Season to be BERRY … and Other Holiday Decorating Ideas from Debbie Travis

December 6, 2013
Featured Video Play Icon

LIVE for 5 on location at NH Inc – TOYS, TOYS, TOYS!

October 10, 2017

4 Not-To-Be-Missed Cyber Monday Deals on Amazon.ca.

November 27, 2017

SHOPPING FROM THE HEART! Hold The Date!

April 20, 2017
Featured Video Play Icon

AeroGarden Indoor Garden Update at Days 3 & 10

May 23, 2012

Walmart’s Grocery Pickup Service-Never Leave Your Car!

March 20, 2020

3 comments

Yolanda Rodriguez August 14, 2015 at 9:03 am

I understand people trying to save money in these difficult times, but did you take into account what it cost you to drive over the border? Is it worth it? What about helping OUR economy?

Reply
Tanya August 14, 2015 at 10:15 am

Hi Yolande, I am not sure if you are living in Canada or in US, but I am Canadian, living in Canada and in this case I am recommending that we do our shopping in Canada. I hope that helps to clarify. Thanks! Tanya

Reply
Krissy steczko November 10, 2015 at 8:40 am

With the canadian dollar what it is right now in comparison to the U.S. dollar, one has to do a little math before determining if it is worthwhile to buy something in the states. I normally spend s couple of days in Vermont and do all my Christmas shopping on Black Friday. This year I am second guessing my purchases and the trip all together. We might still go as it is a some alone time with the hubby while my dad babysits the kids. But we will be tightening our belt on the shopping definitely. I believe Walmart Canada has some really great clearance items online. Happy holidays everyone.

Reply

Leave a Reply to Krissy steczko Cancel Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recent Posts

  • Dollard Couple Hosting Four Ukrainian Refugee Families – Here’s How You Can Help

  • 7 Recipes to Try This Passover

  • Baked Potato Skins -Superbowl Style Snack…for Passover(or Not)!

  • My No-Machine-Needed Challah Dough Recipe

  • 7 Things to Consider When Buying a Kayak for the Lake

Subscribe to our Newsletter

  • A Cremation Urn for #MothersDay? Yup. That happened. https://t.co/2XMMPCN3cJ #TrueStory

    10-May-2021

    Reply Retweet Favorite
  • For those of you looking for a last minute #MothersDay gift... Here are two new devices- different price ranges- bo… https://t.co/EaaRiD0C8Q

    07-May-2021

    Reply Retweet Favorite
  • LAST WEEKEND!!! Premium Retail Group - Montreal is offering up fab deals on Lacoste, North Face, Helly Hansen, Vans… https://t.co/6hwfMhux3H

    16-Apr-2021

    Reply Retweet Favorite
  • Do you LOVE Lacoste, North Face, Helly Hansen, Vans, Herschel, Under Amour? Premium Retail Group Montreal is offer… https://t.co/NUOa2qFVab

    14-Apr-2021

    Reply Retweet Favorite
  • WAREHOUSE SALE ALERT!! Premium Retail Group - Montreal is offering up fab deals on Lacoste, North Face, Helly Hans… https://t.co/XPfcae2tbD

    09-Apr-2021

    Reply Retweet Favorite
team-teluspg-mom-badge

Archives

Categories

LATEST FROM INSTAGRAM

An evening of firsts: First night where 3 of the 4 An evening of firsts: First night where 3 of the 4 kids are at camp; First time eating on a terrasse/at a restaurant since March 2020; First time @tournesolcreperie . So grateful to have a date night with my hubby and the food is DELISH!!!! ❤️💗🌻
Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

AS SEEN ON TV

Subscribe to montrealmomTV on YouTube to be the first to see Tanya's latest videos.
  • Our Family’s Experience with the Ford Expedition

Subscribe to our Newsletter

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Youtube
  • Periscope
Footer Logo

© 2016 montrealmom.com. All rights reserved  |  Powered by Red Dream Studios


Back To Top
We use cookies on our website to give you the best experience on our website. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.

CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Functional

Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.

Performance

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

Analytics

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

Advertisement

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.

Others

Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.

SAVE & ACCEPT