All eyes on the bottom line as back to school expense go up, up, up
NORTH BABYLON, N.Y. - Back to school, just around the corner, means digging deeper into the family budget this year.
Shoppers in national surveys say they are spending more than ever.
Families are trying different strategies to stretch every dollar.
Families flocked to a school supply giveaway Monday in North Babylon. Backpacks, notebooks, healthy food and toiletries were all part of the giveaway - a help to many finding the back to school budget stretched tighter than ever.
"Very difficult. I would say at least 50-60% more than what it has been in years past, from clothes, sneakers, and of course the school supplies," Lenore Taormana said.
According to the National Retail Federation, with inflation slowing, spending is up. Families will spend an average $890 on back-to-school items, $25 more than last year's record high. The increase is driven by more demand for electronics, and back-to-school higher prices.
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Kids In Need Foundation helps supply underserved schools.
"You're talking six out of 10 students show up for first day of school with no supplies whatsoever. Those families, inflation has hit them hard, but we are seeing a creep up, more of what you would consider middle class," Corey Gordon of Kids In Need said.
Looking for ways to make every dollar count, some shopped early to spread out the expense.
"Everything is up, definitely. Clothes, supplies, backpacks," mother Tracey Capela said. "I'm trying to spread it out as much as I can."
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Educators said they are carefully honing class supply lists.
"I think school districts everywhere are trying to be mindful of that list and be sure we are having reasonable expectations of what children need to come to school with," North Babylon School District Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Graham said.
Sherida Newton feels the squeeze on both sides - as a mother outfitting her four kids, and a teacher.
"We try to cut costs any way we can, from coupons down, so as a teacher, we try not to be as selective," Newton said.
Don't feel the need to buy everything all at once. You can ask the teacher what may be needed first, leaving time to comparison-shop for the best deals.
More than a dozen states also hold sales tax holidays in the summer for additional back-to-school savings, including New Jersey and Connecticut.