A late July survey from U.S. News found that 60% of Americans have already begun their back-to-school shopping, and caregivers are feeling the strain this year more than they did last year.
How Much Americans Plan to Spend This Back-to-School Season
Last year, 52% of Americans planned to spend $101 to $300 per child when shopping for back to school. This includes supplies, clothing, books and electronics. This year, that number has decreased to 41%. But that’s because Americans are expecting to pay more.
In 2024, only 7% of Americans expected to pay over $500 per child. This year, 13% expect to pay over $500 per child, with 3% even expecting to pay over $750 per child. This is largely in part due to rising prices as a result of tariffs.
When asked if they are concerned about rising prices due to tariffs, 85% of Americans say yes. More specifically, 40% say they are slightly concerned, while 45% say they are very concerned.
When broken down by income, even families whose combined household income is over $110,000 are concerned about higher prices. About 40% say they are slightly concerned, while 42% say they are very concerned.
So it may come as no surprise that 62% of Americans expect to pay more this year than they did last year for school supplies, with 31% expecting to pay about the same.
The cost of extracurricular activities are also top of mind for many caregivers. Compared with last year, figures have stayed roughly the same, with minor percentage jumps across the board.
About 36% of Americans say they will have to cut back in other areas to afford back-to-school expenses. That’s about a 4-point increase from last year, with more Americans cutting back in other areas this year to afford back-to-school costs.
What’s Trending?
About 57% of Americans plan to reduce their back-to-school spending as a result of rising prices.
As for where they plan to do their shopping, about 38% say they’ll do their back-to-school shopping mainly at brick-and-mortar stores, about 17% say they’ll do their shopping mainly online and 45% say they’ll shop at both.
No matter the age group, shopping in-store outpaced shopping online every time.
Perhaps surprisingly, Gen Z caregivers favor shopping in-store far more than any other generation. Roughly 43% of Gen Z caregivers plan to shop mainly in-store while 18% plan to shop mainly online. And about 36% say they’ll shop both online and in-store.
Among millennials, about 38% say they plan to shop mainly in-store, and 14% say they’ll shop mainly online. About 47% say they’ll shop at both, indicating millennials are willing to do more shopping online versus their Gen Z counterparts.
The preference for in-store shopping is most likely related to clothes and shoe shopping, which 55% of Americans say they are most stressed about buying.
Strategies Americans Plan to Employ
The way most Americans plan on making back-to-school shopping more manageable is finding the best deals by shopping at multiple stores. About 64% say they’ll shop at different stores, versus 52% from last year.
Of the roughly 25% of Americans that plan to buy secondhand items to help alleviate costs, thrift stores (73%) and Facebook Marketplace (59%) were the most popular places they planned to shop. Websites like OfferUp, Poshmark and Back Market (47%) and Facebook groups (42%) followed close behind.
How They Plan to Pay for Expenses
About 60% of Americans plan to pay for back-to-school expenses with a debit card or cash. More Americans plan on using retail credit cards this year than they did last year and take advantage of either a deferred-interest offer or discount at the register.
The number of Americans willing to use a credit card and then carry a balance has also increased, with 20% saying they’ll carry a balance this year versus 14% last year. There was also over a 10-point jump in the number of Americans who say they will use a credit card and then pay off the balance, from 22% to 33%.
There was also over a 5-point jump in the number of Americans planning to use a credit card that charges a 0% annual percentage rate for new purchases, going from 10% in 2024 to roughly 16% in 2025.
[Read: Best 0% APR Credit Cards.]
Where to Get Extra Help
Don’t underestimate the power of your community and its local organizations. Look into your local YMCA, Salvation Army or Boys & Girls Clubs of America to see if any of them offer school supplies at a discount or for free. Plus, many school districts also offer free supplies. All you have to do is ask!
If you’re looking to help others, the Kids In Need Foundation offers backpack sponsorships. The foundation assembles these backpacks and delivers them to qualifying schools for distribution. Each backpack costs $25 (plus shipping) and includes:
— Three folders, two notebooks, one package of pencils
— One package of markers, one pair of scissors, two glue sticks
— One package of Post-its, two pens, one package of crayons
— One pencil pouch, one eraser, one pencil sharpener
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Survey: 85% of Americans Concerned About Rising Back-to-School Prices Due to Tariffs originally appeared on usnews.com
