COLORADO SPRINGS — Families will spend more money to return their kids to school this year. The National Retail Federation says back-to-school spending is expected to reach 41.5 billion this year, a new high.
I spoke with several families doing back-to-school shopping. I was told Walmart, Target and Amazon are the main places people shop for school supplies. And several local families told me they spend about 100-150 dollars on each child they have for things like notebooks, binders, and pencils. I spoke with a local family with four kids about what they are buying for school this year.
“We gather binders, notebooks, paper, at this point we are kind of just on our own. It’s not like elementary school where you have so many specific things, you just get the necessities that you need but it’s mainly binders and then whatever you think you need,” said Jordyn Rollins, a local student.
“It’s really fun because you get to have time with your mom and your parents, and you get time to have bonding time and you get fun school supplies and sometimes you get a surprise of what you get,” said Macy Rollins, a local student.
According to the National Retail Federation, the cost of school supplies has been on the rise for several years. In 2019, the average household spent 697 dollars on school supplies. Last year, the average household spent 864 dollars. This year it’s predicted families will spend about 890 dollars.
The same report says the big increase in back-to-school prices is tied to the need for electronics in the classroom. And that’s just supplies. According to Statistica, the average parent will spend about 400 dollars on clothes and shoes this year. That’s a 40-dollar increase this year because of inflation.
It’s also important to double-check with your district to see if your child’s school is offering a flat fee to help you get some of the supplies you need for your child.
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