For many families, the start of a new school year comes with a familiar list: notebooks, backpacks, clothes, electronics and countless smaller purchases that can add up faster than expected. This year, those expenses may put even more pressure on household budgets.
Recent coverage from Forbes Advisor highlights just how expensive back-to-school season has become and offers strategies families can use to keep spending under control. Parents with children in elementary through high school expect to spend an average of $863.86 this year, according to a National Retail Federation survey cited by Forbes. Nationwide, back-to-school spending is expected to reach a record $43.3 billion.
With families already managing higher everyday expenses, planning before shopping can make a meaningful difference.
Cathleen Bell, Vice President of Customer Research and Insights at National Debt Relief, told Forbes Advisor that parents can start by taking inventory of supplies left over from last year, separating necessities from nice-to-have items and setting a spending limit before heading to the store or shopping online.
That preparation can help turn a long school-supply list into a more manageable set of purchases, and may reduce the temptation to rely on credit for expenses that weren’t accounted for in the household budget.
Not Everything Has to Be Purchased at Once
Back-to-school shopping can feel like a single deadline, but families may have more flexibility than they realize.
According to the National Retail Federation research cited by Forbes Advisor, 47% of parents plan to purchase only the essentials before school begins and pick up additional items as they’re needed.
Bell also pointed to strategies such as spreading purchases over several weeks, researching tax-free shopping periods, comparing retailer prices and taking advantage of loyalty programs. Individually, the savings on a notebook or package of pencils may seem small. Across several children and an entire school-supply list, however, those differences can add up.
A budgeting app may also help families establish a spending ceiling and keep track of purchases as they happen. The goal is to know how much has already been spent before another item goes into the cart.
Be Careful About Turning School Supplies Into Debt
How families pay for back-to-school purchases can matter just as much as how much they spend.
Buy now, pay later (BNPL) services can make a purchase feel more affordable by breaking the cost into smaller payments. But Bell cautioned that the convenience can also make it easier to spend beyond what a household can comfortably repay.
That concern becomes more significant for parents who are already carrying debt.
A 2025 National Debt Relief survey cited by Forbes Advisor found that 48% of parents with debt described their debt as becoming “unmanageable.” Adding another payment obligation—even one that appears relatively small—can increase the pressure on an already tight monthly budget.
Back-to-school shopping is temporary, but debt from those purchases can linger well beyond the first day of class. Looking at the total amount being spent, rather than focusing only on individual payments, can help families understand the real impact on their finances.
A Little Planning Can Create Breathing Room
Parents can’t control the price of every backpack, pair of shoes or classroom supply. They can, however, make deliberate choices about when they shop, what they buy and how those purchases fit into the rest of the household budget.
Starting with necessities, setting a realistic spending limit and tracking purchases along the way can help families avoid turning a seasonal expense into a longer-term financial burden.
And for households already struggling with credit cards or other unsecured debt, back-to-school season can be an important reminder to look at the bigger financial picture. When new expenses continually have to be placed on credit because there isn’t enough room in the monthly budget, it may be time to explore available options for addressing the underlying debt.
Back-to-school costs may be reaching record levels, but thoughtful planning can help families protect their budgets while getting students what they need for the year ahead.
For more budgeting strategies and Cathleen Bell’s insights on managing back-to-school costs, read the full article from Forbes Advisor.
