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Why “Back to School” Shopping Feels Like a Mortgage Payment Now

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Image source: Unsplash

Remember when back-to-school shopping meant a new backpack, a couple of spiral notebooks, and maybe a cool lunchbox if you were lucky? Fast forward to 2025, and the price tag on school prep looks more like a down payment than a seasonal errand. For millions of families, August isn’t just the end of summer. It’s the beginning of budget stress.

So why does gearing up for school now rival a monthly mortgage? The answer isn’t just inflation (though that’s part of it). It’s a perfect storm of rising costs, shifting expectations, and a school system that’s quietly passing more of the financial burden to parents.

Let’s break down what’s changed and how families can push back without shortchanging their kids.

The Inflation Factor: Prices Just Aren’t What They Used to Be

It’s no surprise that inflation has made everything more expensive—from gas to groceries, and yes, to glue sticks and sneakers. But back-to-school shopping is getting hit on all sides. According to the National Retail Federation, families now spend over $890 per child for the new school year, up more than 30% in the past five years.

That includes clothes, tech, supplies, extracurricular fees, and those “voluntary” classroom contributions that somehow feel anything but optional.

Even basics like paper, pencils, and folders have seen price hikes. A $0.99 pack of crayons? Try $3.99. Multiply that across a growing list, and suddenly, you’re dipping into savings to send your child to second grade.

Tech Expectations Keep Climbing, And It’s Expensive

Gone are the days when a calculator was the most high-tech item in a kid’s backpack. Now, students are expected to have tablets, laptops, headphones, chargers, and reliable Wi-Fi at home.

Many districts provide devices, but not all. And if your school doesn’t (or yours breaks mid-year), it’s on you. Even “bring your own device” programs come with fine print: it must meet district specs, be compatible with specific learning platforms, and ideally be new enough to last the school year without crashing mid-assignment.

Parents of multiple kids? That’s double or triple the tech investment.

School Supply Lists Are Longer and More Outrageous

It used to be a short list: folders, glue, scissors, pencils, backpack. Now, it’s multi-page PDFs with brand-name requests (because they last longer), tissues, hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes, printer paper, headphones, and Ziploc bags in four sizes.

In many cases, these lists don’t just supply your child. They help stock the classroom for months. Teachers, underfunded and under-supported, rely on families to fill the gap. And while that’s a systemic problem worth solving, the short-term impact lands squarely on parents’ wallets.

Image source: Unsplash

Clothing Costs Add Up, Even Before You Get to the Shoes

Kids grow fast. Like, really fast. So back-to-school shopping almost always includes replacing outgrown or worn-down clothes from the year before. But with fast fashion being both ethically murky and increasingly pricey, many parents are stuck trying to find affordable, durable options without spending hundreds per child.

Add in school dress codes, special uniform policies, or “theme weeks” that require yet another round of costume-y outfits, and that budget just keeps ballooning.

And we haven’t even mentioned the shoes. Good luck getting out of a single pair under $60.

“Extras” Are Now Just… Expected

Classroom supplies and clothes aside, there’s the rise of extracurricular costs that seem to creep in earlier and earlier. Club fees. Sports uniforms. Instrument rentals. Field trip deposits. Fundraisers. Teacher gifts. Picture day. PTA donations. School spirit week. Birthday celebrations.

None of these things are mandatory, but parents know their child may feel left out if they don’t participate. So they stretch. They swipe the credit card. They dip into emergency funds just to keep up.

So What Can Parents Do?

No one wants their kid to start the school year feeling behind. But families are getting smarter about how they prep without going broke. Here’s what’s working:

  • Buy secondhand: Facebook Marketplace, local consignment shops, and even thrift stores often carry gently used backpacks, lunchboxes, and clothes for a fraction of the price.
  • Host supply swaps: Team up with other parents to trade extra items or hand-me-downs. You’ll be shocked at what’s sitting unused in someone’s closet.
  • Stick to the list (and ask questions): Don’t be afraid to ask your child’s teacher what’s truly necessary on that mile-long supply list. Often, the full quantity isn’t needed right away.
  • Stagger purchases: You don’t need everything on Day One. Prioritize the essentials and spread out purchases over the first few weeks to avoid one massive hit.
  • Set a back-to-school budget: And talk to your kids about it. It’s okay to say, “We’re spending X this year, so let’s choose the backpack or the shoes, not both.”

You’re Not Alone. This Isn’t Just You

If you’ve ever looked at your cart (physical or digital) and felt your stomach sink during back-to-school shopping, you’re far from alone. Parents across the country are asking the same thing: Why does it feel like we need a second job just to send our kids back to school?

It’s not your imagination. It’s a very real shift in how school support is structured and who’s paying for it. Until policy catches up, families are being left to find creative, compassionate ways to navigate it.

You don’t have to buy everything. You don’t have to keep up with everyone else. You just have to do your best to give your child what they need, not what social media says they should have.

How has back-to-school shopping changed for your family, and what budget hacks have helped you survive the sticker shock?

Read More:

School Success Starts at Home—Here’s How to Prep Your Kids

Are School Lunches Healthier Than What You Pack? The Answer May Surprise You