Even by buying them at the last minute, it is still possible to lower your school supply bill. This year, due to inflation, the price of many of these items have risen sharply. In June, the FCPE (Federation of parent-teacher councils) announced, depending on the departments, up to 18% increase for notebooks, 20% for sheets, 38% on highlighters or even 43% on calculators.
In response, the State reacted in order to help the most precarious families. In early August, the ARS (back-to-school allowance) was increased by 4% under the law on purchasing power. Due to this late announcement, the three million households that benefit from it will only receive this additional 4% at the beginning of September with the payment of other CAF benefits.
At the same time, around 10.8 million low-income households will receive, around September 15, 2022, exceptional aid: the back-to-school bonus. It will amount to 100 euros per household, plus 50 euros per dependent child. This concerns beneficiaries of social minima (RSA, AAH, APL, etc.) as well as scholarship students. Households benefiting only from the activity bonus should also receive aid in the fall.
In total, according to a survey by the Families of France association, the overall cost of back to school increased by 4.25% between 2021 and 2022. For a 6th grade student, this corresponds to 208.12 euros to spend. Faced with this increase, many parents have decided to restrict purchases as much as possible. Thus, according to Le Monde, while sales of school supplies had increased by 5.9% in July over one year, sales in volume fell by 2%. A figure confirmed by the Trade Union Confederation of Families (CSF), which announced to franceinfo that families spent 2.64% less on their back-to-school purchases in 2022. To compensate for these increases, associations and supermarkets indeed multiplied the initiatives.
Discover, thanks to Planet.fr, four tips for saving money at the last minute.
