Parents Aren’t Just Spending on Back-to-School. They’re Doomspending, Too

It’s back-to-school season, and the Retail Council of Canada says parents are spending $600 to $750 per child in 2026, making for a combined $4.5-billion market in Canada

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That’s not a small amount, and yet survey data from Lightspeed Commerce says only 24% of parents set a strict back-to-school budget while 31% don’t set a budget at all

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That doesn’t mean parents are necessarily overspending. But back-to-school season creates a high-spending, high-stress environment where the line between necessities and short-term comfort can blur.

Approaching such a major expense with such a lax sense of structure may leave more room for a larger trend colloquially known as “doomspending” — the habit of spending money on things you want, but don’t necessarily need, at least partly because of concerns over finances, the economy or the future.

A recent study by NerdWallet Canada shows that two-thirds of Canadians engaged in doomspending behaviour in the last six months

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. Those with children in their household — the study didn’t differentiate between parents and other cohabitators — reported the behaviour at an even higher rate.

Those with children in the household reported an above-average level of doomspending, with 72% reporting one or more instances of the behaviour. Of them, 69% said it was recurring.

After doomspending, those with children in the household were more likely than those without to reduce other non-essential spending afterward (32% vs 27%), carry a balance on a credit card (28% vs 19%) or delay another necessary expense (11% vs 7%).

As a parent, this rings true. My family hasn’t set a strict back-to-school budget and is generally willing to sacrifice at least some amount of financial health in the name of giving our kids the best possible childhood they can have.

But if back-to-school shopping is a necessary expense, where does doomspending come in? A serviceable backpack, shoes without holes and snow pants that fit are hardly impulse purchases.

Lightspeed's data suggests the answer lies in the gap between the essentials and the splurges. It found that 71% of Canadians agree back-to-school shopping is at least sometimes about social pressure rather than school needs, and that 68% of parents have paid more than they wanted because their child wanted a specific brand.

In other words, parents are saying YOLO when it comes to back-to-school purchases, even if it means taking on more credit card debt. And, while paying more for a branded item doesn’t automatically make the purchase doomspending, it shows how easily an essential shopping trip can spill over into discretionary spending.

Even those families who are disciplined in their back-to-school spending may find the stress of the season leads them to doomspending behaviours. Some 61% of doomspending parents say their primary rationale was a lift in mood or distraction from stress, while the most common splurge was restaurant meals or takeout (69%). After a busy and expensive day of making children try on pants, it’s easy for tired parents to order pizza for dinner and put it on their credit card — don’t worry about whether it’s in the budget.

Whether back-to-school is the trigger or simply the backdrop, what are parents to do?

Lightspeed says parents are coping with back-to-school costs by researching deals (39%), choosing lower-cost retailers (38%), choosing generic over brand-name items (35%) and just buying fewer items (30%).

It also says the first categories to be cut by budget-conscious parents are technology (30%), clothing (22%) and extracurricular gear (20%).

As a personal finance writer, it’s tempting to turn this section into a lecture about having a budget and being disciplined in back-to-school spending. But you already know what you’re supposed to do. And as a parent, sometimes you just have to do what makes sense for your family today — even if it’s at the expense of your retirement savings.

For my family, looking for coupons and going to Walmart rather than Carter’s isn’t exactly going to be a saving grace. And buying fewer items isn’t an option; the kids need new water bottles whether I like it or not.

So a more useful question than "can I afford this?" may be this one: will saying yes to something today make another expense harder to cover tomorrow?

That's a question you can answer in the aisle, in about five seconds, without a spreadsheet. It won't stop you from spending. But it's the difference between a splurge you chose and one that chose you — and, based on the numbers above, it's the difference between a pizza night and a credit card balance you're still carrying at Thanksgiving.

Like most parents, we’ll grin and bear it — and charge it all to our American Express card. And we’ll probably order pizza when we’re done. And breadsticks. And dipping sauce.