“This year is a little different”: Parents trying to save money this year for back-to-school shopping

August 11, 2022

Anissa Lopez,

DELMARVA- It’s that time of the year again, we’re talking back to school shopping. And this year, marking those items off the list may come with a higher price tag.

“This is going to be the most expensive year on record for back-to-school shopping,” Cailey Locklair, President of the Maryland Retailers Association, said. “Deloitte, that does a study every year about back to school shopping and how consumers are feeling, they did a survey that found that almost 60% of back-to-school shoppers are concerned about inflation.”

“School supply is like one of those things, it’s like car insurance; you gotta have them in order to help a student succeed he or she needs those essential supplies to start the school year with,” Bill Chambers, President and CEO of Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce, said.

In fact, families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $864 on school items this year, according to the National Retail Federation.

“On average, and this is the national average, consumers are spending about $119 more per student on school supplies and clothing this year then pre-pandemic,” Chambers said.

For Delaware mom, Amanda Crisci, she’s buying for 4 and despite rising costs her budget won’t change. “Unfortunately, my budget stays the same, although inflation is a real thing salaries don’t increase and wages don’t go up,” Crisci said. “So, the budget is what it is and I still have to buy school supplies for all four.”

Instead she’s trying to save in other ways.

“This year is a little different,” Crisci said. “So, we concentrated more on what’s a want and what’s a need for this year, so we did like an inventory, so do you really want new shoes or do you actually need them.”

She’s also keeping an eye out for deals.

“What I am doing more is looking at who’s giving bulk discounts when stores are giving specials on things and who’s giving the best coupons,” Crisci said.

Locklair said while parents are paying for these supplies it’s also important to think about how are you paying for these items and what is the best way to do so.

“So, thinking about your cash back rewards on your credit card or maybe it ties into gas, whatever the bonus or reward is on the card that you’re using make sure that it is the best deal that you can get,” Locklair said.

Crisci said she is the Laurel School District Assistant Principal at the high school and they are virtually paperless, so every student has chrome books. She said that seems to help families save on school supplies. She added that their student service department can help families with school supplies if they need it.