Back-to-School Shopping Will Be More Expensive This Year—These Tips Can Help

Between backpacks, lunch boxes, water bottles, shoes, clothes, and long lists of supplies, the amount of money required come August is enough you forget to breathe for a moment.

First, a Retail Dive study reports that parents will spend nearly 22% more on back-to-school purchases in 2024.1  We can expect to drop $475 per child—this, compared to an already-exorbitant spend of $390 in 2023.

Meanwhile, the survey found that despite inflation, parents who earn more than $50,000 do not plan to cut back on BTS shopping, while those who earn less than $50,000 are hoping to find sales.

Back-To-School Shopping Tips

• Consider these effective strategies to cut down on stress and on your total at the register:
• Make a detailed shopping list before spending any money.
• Take inventory of what you already have at home, such as supplies from previous years, or hand-me-down items from your older children, or friends with older kids.
• Check prices online and set a precise budget for the items you plan to buy.
• Plan your shopping around in-store or online sales.
• Search online for coupons.
• Use a cash-back card if you intend to pay via credit card to save about 2 to 6% off your purchases.