Whether it’s your kid’s first day at school in September or you’re entering college as a freshman, saving money before going back to school is an annual challenge that doesn’t seem to get any easier.
However, it’s also a fantastic opportunity to take advantage of the best deals and point bonuses offered by retailers. Generally, the best Back-to-School deals happen during the last two weeks of August until the first week of September, with some retailers putting items on clearance during the weeks after.
In this article, we present several strategies to save money on your back to school shopping, and also maximize the points you earn from your necessary expenditures.
General Money Saving Tips for Back To School
Make a Budget
It’s always good to try to contain your spending by making a budget. Using tools such as a spreadsheet can help keep expenses organized and identify what cuts could be made to certain items to supplement other items.
On a related note, you can also check out our tracking sheet for points and miles as well.
See What You Can Re-use
Reusing any items from previous years, like old stationary and even computers, are always helpful in saving a few bucks. Although they’re small items, you don’t always need to purchase new sets of stationary every year. During my undergrad, I never had to use any calculators but when I went back to school last September, I needed a scientific calculator, which I had luckily saved from high school.
Don’t be afraid to ask around, especially If you have siblings, other family members or even neighbours who may have recently graduated or are still in class. They might have some supplies up for grabs as well!
Buy Second-hand
Textbooks and technology are one of the most expensive items on the back-to-school checklist. Purchasing second-hand can really help you save costs, with savings in the dozens and sometimes hundreds of dollars. Online community groups and markets like Facebook Marketplace will usually have fellow students or alumni trying to get rid of textbooks at a heavily discounted price compared to buying new ones at the bookstore. Online textbooks through the bookstore are also usually cheaper than the hardcopies, though never as good of a deal versus second-hand books.
For computers, tablets, and other electronics, although there are many options online, I would recommend visiting your local computer store. If you just need something simple for word processing, taking notes, and looking up things online, you probably don’t need the latest and greatest performing laptop there is out there. Additionally, most post-secondary institutions will usually have higher powered computers available for students for more intensive projects such as photo and movie editing.
Used laptops may be a couple years old but most of them can still run the latest operating systems and software available. Moreover, buying from a local shop usually means they’ll be able to service your laptop quickly whenever problems arise, instead of having to deal with customer service over the phone or chat.
Secondhand stores like Value Village are also a good source for purchasing second-hand as well, like stationary and games for your dorm.
Discounts and Points-earning Opportunities on Back to School Shopping
Online Shopping and Tools
Online shopping portals like the Aeroplan eStore and Rakuten typically offer great point or cashback multipliers during the back-to-school season. As long as you’re shopping through the eStore link for your favourite retailer or you have the browser extension activated, the earning multiplier can be stacked on top of sales and discounts that show up on the page.
The eStore and Rakuten both have a variety of vendors and categories of retailers which you can earn points or cash back with.
The Aeroplan eStore also allows redemptions using Aeroplan Points. Purchasing merchandise and gift cards using points through the eStore generally won’t be the greatest redemption value compared to redeeming them for flights. Valuing Aeroplan points at around 2 cents or more/pt on flight redemptions, merchandise bought directly from the eStore is usually used at less than 1 cent/pt.
If you are in a pinch, the best valued redemptions from the eStore are Air Canada gift cards, which are usually redeemable at 1 cent per point, and a little more during promotions like back to school. However, using a gift card for flights will not allow you the ability to use any credit card benefits like delay and cancellation insurance so be mindful if you do choose to redeem.
Mentioned in our how-to guide for earning miles and points as students, SPC is a student discount program, with CIBC Student account-holders receiving complimentary enhanced SPC+ membership to the program. Most of the discounts are already notable, without any additional actions required, however, some of the more exclusive SPC+ discounts are promo codes that have to be entered at checkout.
New Electronics
Electronics are a necessity nowadays, especially at post-secondary institutions. Many electronics retailers offer back-to school discounts on a variety of products. Apple and Lenovo for example offer education pricing regularly around August. Lenovo’s is only exclusive to students and teachers while Apple’s discount is offered to new and current students, their parents, school faculty or staff and homeschool teachers.
On top of electronics themselves, mobility and telecom providers also provide back-to-school discounts. These vary by provider but from experience, they can be comparable to Black Friday deals. Additionally, mobile network prices have been going down in price lately, with the budget carriers selling affordable plans that have premium options such as included international roaming outside Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
Tuition Fees and Recurring Bills
Student budgets are a tedious thing to budget and every day spending has to be scrutinized. If you’re living on campus, your school might already have a meal plan. Although it’s a prepaid bill payment, students and their parents can use services such as Plastiq and Chexy to pay for the meal plan while still earning points.
There is a minimum 1.75% fee for using these services, but taking advantage of the Chexy Aeroplan Introductory offer or a credit card sign-up or cashback bonus can help reap as much value back as possible.
Retail
For retail spending such as school supplies and groceries, there are different ways to get as much value back as possible from your purchases. Depending on the campus or local area, there is a good chance that stores will have their own loyalty program. For example, at UBC, they had a Save-On Foods (part of More Rewards), and a post-secondary oriented Shoppers Drug Mart (PC Optimum). Check out our article comparing different grocery store rewards programs here!
Office supply stores such as Staples will have great discounts on stationary and other school essentials. They also have a great furniture and electronics section in case you need to spruce up the dorm or strengthen your connectivity. Some of their clearance items, especially electronics, can be at really good discounts.
Discount stores such as Walmart and Dollarama often carry name brand products at the cheapest prices. Dollarama carries brands such as Sharpie for their stationary products and Dove for their soap products. Additionally, Dollarama has, in the past, offered an Amex offer which helps cardholders reap money back from their purchases
Wholesale Stores
Costco and Wholesale Club are some of the wholesale store options when it comes to shopping before the school season. Essentials like backpacks can be found in stock on a seasonal basis. You can also find clothing on sale as well or rebated when purchasing a certain amount.
Buying wholesale also means bulk prices for food and other home essentials. Great for food prep or stocking up the kitchen pantry, purchasing from these stores would be much cheaper than buying from traditional retailers.
Transportation
Amtrak, VIA Rail, and Air Canada have discount programs for students and children. On VIA Rail, children 17 and younger can take trains for free in Economy class with a paid adult fair, and a 25% discount for anyone between 18-24 on select Economy fares.
If you’re travelling in the US, Amtrak also offers an all-year discount code for students, saving 15% off of most fares. Use code V814 at checkout to apply the discount.
For air travel, Air Canada offers 35 different student flight passes, which are pre-paid packages. For example, the Western Canada to Asia student flight pass is only limited to cities in China, Japan, and South Korea whereas the standard flight pass includes some of Air Canada’s newest destinations like Singapore, Manila, and Bangkok. Comparing prices between passes, one flight credit for a student flight pass is about $991 versus $1299 per credit on a standard Flight Pass.
Best Credit Cards for Back to School Shopping
Credit cards will be your best bet when it comes to getting as much value back as possible from back-to-school spending. Students have a variety of options when it comes to figuring out which credit cards have the most powerful earning potential. See our article on the best student credit cards for a comprehensive list. Below is a quick summary of a few cards that both students and parents can take advantage of with great earning rates.
Student Credit Cards
Both banks and credit unions have credit cards that are dedicated for students. As many students may have a lesser established credit score, these cards offer relatively easy approval to full-time students.
My first credit card, which also first hooked me into the Miles and Points game, was the CIBC Aeroplan Visa Card for Students. Although the earning rate was nowhere near fantastic, the low barrier of entry and a minimum 1 Aeroplan point per $1 earn rate made it appealing to me. Moreover, my parents had signed me up for an Air Canada Aeroplan account when I was growing up so I was able to link the card to my account.
Other banks such as BMO and TD offer their own beginner student credit cards so check if your primary bank has similar products. If you do not have a personal bank account yet, you can check out our chart comparing the different student banking accounts to start your journey
Although not exclusively offered as a student product, the Rogers Red Mastercard has been advertised as a good product for students, especially those with an existing account under the Rogers umbrella.
If you have an account with Fido or Rogers, the bonus benefits, such as 5 Roam Like Home days, reduced USD foreign transaction fees, and increased redemption multipliers, make this no-annual fee credit card very appealing. If you do go through with the Rogers Red Mastercard, make sure you apply in person so that they can verify your student status.
With the Rogers Red Mastercard, Rogers, Fido, Shaw, and Comwave postpaid consumer customers can earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases and get a 1.5x redemption bonus on Rogers, Fido, Shaw, and Comwave purchases – a 3% cash back value.
Check out our Rogers Red Mastercard review for more details.
$0 cash back
$0
$0+
$0
Yes
–
Cards with Multiple Categories
If you’re a parent or a student who has credit history through student loans or some income from a part-time job, these are some cards that have points or cashback opportunities in multiple categories.
The Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard is a great all-around cashback product which allows cardholders to pick and choose which two spending categories can earn 2% back, with the ability to earn a third cashback category following a savings account opening. Additionally, offers such as the sign-up bonus of $125 FlyerFunds plus 10% back for the first 2 months is perfect for the back to school season as well.
There is an income requirement of $12,000 so make sure you can check that box before applying for the card. You should also check out our comparison between the Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard and the Rogers Red Mastercard!
The Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard offers cardholders the ability to choose up to three accelerated spending categories to increase their cash back earnings.
Check out our Tangerine Money-Back Mastercard review for more details.
Earn when you apply through Frugal Flyer.
$100 cash back
$1,000
$260+
$0
Yes
Jan 30, 2026
Last but not least, we couldn’t forget the American Express Cobalt Card, with its superb earning power. Although there is no income requirement, some credit history is recommended before applying for this card.
The Cobalt was my second ever credit card, which has drastically improved my earning strategy and spending habits. Perfect for grocery shopping and dining out, the value of earning American Express Membership Rewards when converted to Aeroplan points can be valued at more than 10% back, with fantastic redemptions such as ANA’s “The Room” Business Class.
The American Express Cobalt Card gives cardholders the opportunity to earn 5x Membership Rewards on eligible restaurant, food delivery, and grocery store purchases.
Check out our American Express Cobalt card review for more details.
15,000 Membership Rewards points
$9,000
$300+
$191.88
Yes
–
Combining Offers Together
One situation where I was able to combine multiple offers together or “double dip”, happened last year. The same time as Lenovo’s back-to-school specials on their website, a 5% discount for students and teachers was offered after an online school ID verification service. I also enabled the Aeroplan eStore browser extension to earn bonus points, with higher earning multipliers that appear every year before the semester starts.
Lastly, American Express has recurring cashback offers for cardholders around this time as well. Combining all three offers together, I saved hundreds of dollars and earned thousands of points.
If you’re a Rogers, Fido, or Shaw customer, the Rogers Red Mastercard is a great way to save and redeem cashback for mobility purchases. With no minimum income requirement, the card has a low barrier of entry for students that don’t have little to no credit history, making it one of the best student credit cards in Canada.
Combining this card with some of the back-to-school offers at Rogers or Fido can save you dozens of dollars. Additionally, if you visit the United States, you can also enjoy a discounted foreign transaction fee on US Dollar spending.
Conclusion
The Back-To-School rush is a great opportunity to take advantage of savings and bonus point promotions across all categories of spending. Like most of the points and miles game, managing your spending is a delicate balance in order to get as much of your money as possible. For parents of eager pre-schoolers to studious PhD graduates, mastering back-to-school earning and saving tactics takes a lot of practice, but is a worthwhile skill to have!
Andy Leung
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