School year resumption update: discover the significance of the minimum essential basket budget for academic year 2025-2026 in Tomsk.
In the academic year of 2025, parents in Tomsk, Russia, are facing increased school supply costs compared to previous years.
The cost of a girl's school uniform in 2025 is 13,500 rubles, a 7% rise from the previous year, and includes a dress, trousers, blouse, shoes, cardigan, sports suit, and sneakers. For boys, the uniform costs 13,350 rubles, including trousers, shirt, waistcoat, shoes, cardigan, sports suit, and sneakers.
The minimum price for a basic school set, which includes notebooks, backpack, pencil case, albums, cardboard, plasticine, paints, pencils, glue, and scissors, is 6,000 rubles.
Over the past five years, the price of the minimum school set has increased by 24%. In 2021, the price for a first-grader's minimum school set ranged from 16,000 to 18,000 rubles, while in 2020, it ranged from 10,000 to 12,000 rubles. The total increase in the price of a first-grader's minimum school set over the past five years has reached 63%.
Equipping a future first-grader will cost 19,000 rubles for a boy and 20,000 rubles for a girl.
Despite the rising costs, there are ways for parents in Tomsk to save on school supplies. Buying supplies early before seasonal price hikes, purchasing in bulk or sharing costs with other parents, opting for local brands or generic items instead of imported or premium brands, using second-hand or hand-me-down supplies when possible, participating in community exchange or donation programs for school items, and comparing prices online and in-store to find sales or discounts are all potential strategies.
However, specific information about the increase in cost of school supplies for first-graders in Tomsk over the past five years or local saving strategies was not readily available in our search results. For exact data on cost changes in Tomsk or specific local saving strategies, consulting local news sources, government education websites, or community forums in Tomsk would be necessary.
Additionally, the absence of "August markups" can be exploited to save on school supplies. These markups typically occur in August when parents rush to purchase school supplies before the start of the academic year, causing prices to increase. By planning ahead and purchasing supplies early, parents can avoid these markups and save money.
Despite the escalated school supply costs, parents in Tomsk can still find ways to save, such as shopping for deals and discounts during home-and-garden lifestyle sales or opting for generic items in the home-and-garden section instead of premium brands. Furthermore, by planning ahead and purchasing school supplies earlier in the year, parents can avoid the August markups and stick to a budget, ensuring a comfortable lifestyle for their family.
