Students heading back to college or university in September are increasingly turning to used computers and phones as they look to save a few dollars while costs climb.
More than 70 per cent of Canadian gen-Zers have bought used tech in the past year, compared to 63 per cent of the general population, according to a recent report by Best Buy Co. Inc.
Used tech refers to all open-box, trade-in or refurbished products. Best Buy said refurbished products offer about a 40 per cent discount off the same brand new model, while open-box items, which could be returned items or in-store displays, have an average discount of 28.3 per cent.
Among the gen-Zers who favoured used technology, cost was the main deciding factor for 81 per cent, while 44 per cent were concerned about reducing the environmental impact of new tech. The durability of these products is also a factor among 25 per cent of gen-Zers.
Gen Z is also the most price-conscious demographic among Canadian tech shoppers, with 46 per cent of them spending $500 or less on tech last year.
Tuition for college students continues to climb, with Canadians paying US$5,590 per year for a bachelor’s degree, the third highest in the world behind the U.S. (US$9,596) and Japan (US$5,645), according to Education Data Initiative estimates published this month using data from 2023.
Ontario students are not expected to receive a price break this year as the provincial government ended a tuition freeze on post-secondary education, allowing schools to hike tuition by two per cent per year for the next three years.
Students, however, may be getting some relief on rent. The average rent across Canada was $2,037 per month in July, down four per cent year over year, according to Rentals.ca .
Students may be at a particular advantage when it comes to rent because the cap on foreign students has helped lower asking rents in the student market.
Rentals.ca said cities with the highest concentration of students in 2025 experienced steep declines in rent prices as demand waned.
The University of Waterloo said students looking to save money should plan a budget and stick to it, eat their meals at home, take advantage of discounts tailored for students, buy used items and start saving for school early.
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Canada dodged U.S. tariffs Tuesday night after President Donald Trump announced that Canada and the U.S. had reached a tentative deal and would hit pause on the new levies for three days.
New U.S. tariffs were set to hit $29 billion worth of Canadian goods as of midnight today.
In a Truth Social post last night announcing the tariff delay, Trump hinted that the revival of the Keystone XL Pipeline may be part of the deal.
“The great Keystone XL Pipeline, long ago killed by Sleepy Joe Biden, may be awoken from the grave!,” he wrote.
As today’s chart shows energy is the United States’ largest import from Canada.
2:00 p.m.: Minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve’s latest interest rate decisionToday’s data: Construction investment for JuneEarnings: Lowe’s Companies Inc., Target Corp.
The rising cost of real estate made shared home ownership a trendy option, but this can lead to a messy situation if things go south. Financial Post columnist Garry Marr says due diligence is needed before agreeing to buy a property with someone and sometimes forming a corporation is the best option. Read more here.
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Today’s Posthaste was written by Ben Cousins with additional reporting from Financial Post staff and Bloomberg.
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