Back to school shopping advertisements are everywhere, and many Metro Vancouver parents are wondering if they’ll save money by making a trip to Bellingham.

Consumer reporter Ross McLaughlin shopped at Walmart stores in Bellingham and Port Coquitlam and compared prices to see if it was worth it to cross the border for back to school shopping.

The day of the Bellingham shopping trip, Walmart was using a conversion rate of 74.16 cents Cdn to $1 US.

Sample shopping list items. All prices converted to Canadian dollars before tax.

 

Item Canadian Store      U.S. Store
24 pack Crayola Crayons $0.75 $0.67
T.I. Calculator $15.47 $11.97
LeapFrog Tablet $168  $172.60
Scissors $3.97  $5.35
Sneakers $8.88 $11.35
3-ring heavy binder $7.47  $5.35
Bic pack 10 pens $1.25 $1.58
Girls hoodie + pants set $19.97 $23.92
Boys jeans $7.97  $12.03
200-page notebook $2.00 $2.62 (Two 100-page books)

Overall, McLaughlin On Your Side found that it was cheaper to shop in Canada than in the U.S. Shoppers may get a deal on some electronics, but some items, like a children’s learning tablet, actually cost more in Washington State.

The PST on certain school supplies in B.C. is exempt, but consumers may need to ask to get the tax back.

ROSS AT WALMART