Involve your child in the school shopping process

Whether it's in a store, online or while browsing a product catalog, don't hesitate to encourage your child to exercise critical thinking skills:

• Play the difference game.
  Why is this item, which is so similar to this one, more expensive? Why do you think this one is cheaper? It could be a matter of quality, brands, features, etc.
• Search for the best deals.
  Compare prices of 2 similar items or between 2 different businesses.
• View and rank each item's relevance from 1 to 10 - 10 being the most relevant.
  Rank all the products offered in the same store, section or category that are similar. Ask your child to find and discuss which items seem to be of better quality.
• Guess, by hiding the real prices, which item is the cheapest.
  You may be surprised at your child's perception of the value of products. If your child is often hesitant, give him/her examples that he/she understands by referring to the price tag game.
• Stick to the budget.
  If the total exceeds the budget, look for similar products that cost less. This is an opportunity to reprioritize and play the substitution game.