Pittsburgh-Area Parents Struggling With Back-To-School Shopping
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Nothing is ordinary about the upcoming school year, including back-to-school shopping.
In the case of Hazel Robinson, a mother with two children in the Highlands School District, checking items off her shopping list is more challenging this year.
"We don't know what things they may need. And we'd rather them be prepared," said Robinson.
Based on past spending, she estimates she'll spend several hundred dollars to get both of her children the things they need to start the school year. This year, in addition to traditional school supplies, she needs electronics to support her kids' online learning.
And as school districts bounce back and forth between back-to-school models, Robinson fears she's wasting her money.
"Are we going to buy these things and it will sit because they have them doing something else?" Robinson said.
Robinson is not the only parent struggling with this uncertainty right now. Kimberly Palmer, a finance expert from NerdWallet told KDKA that "parents are really struggling right now to prepare for a school year that's unlike any other."
NerdWallet said roughly 50 percent of parents are spending less money on back-to-school supplies. The pandemic has either left them concerned about the economy or strapped for cash.
But there are ways to save. Palmer recommends buying in bulk with other parents, using credit cards with cash rewards, skipping buying clothes and waiting for fall sales.
"If you can wait until Prime Day, which we expect in the fall, perhaps October, you can actually get some big savings," said Palmer.
For Robinson, the added cost of keeping the kids home is worth the extra spending.
"We want our children to be safe, and we want everyone else's children to be safe," said Robinson.