This back-to-school season, families are bracing for higher back-to-school costs, as more shoppers worry about staying on budget. According to RetailMeNot, that number jumped from 29% last year to 37%.
"A lot of people are starting a lot earlier just to help stretch out that budget," said retail insights expert Stephanie Carls.
Parents are paying close attention to every purchase, hunting for deals, and looking for ways to spend less than they did last year.
Shoppers aren't feeling optimistic about the economy either. Consulting firm Deloitte found 57% of parents expect economic conditions to get worse over the next six months.
RELATED STORY | 'Chipflation' sending laptop prices higher: How to beat the price hikes
"We're seeing that play out in how they are projecting they are going to spend this back-to-school season," said Brian McCarthy, a retail strategy leader with Deloitte.
According to Deloitte's 2026 Back-to-School Survey, parents still plan to spend $557 per child this year, versus $570 in 2025, but McCarthy said families are becoming more deliberate about where their money goes.
"We're also seeing this concept of higher value seeking behaviors where shoppers are becoming a little bit more thoughtful and strategic in how they make these buying decisions to get the most for their economic dollar," he said.
The National Retail Federation says retailers know shoppers are hunting for deals.
"We spend a lot of money on education, so making sure that they have the right product matters," said Mark Mathews, the National Retail Federation's chief economist and executive director of research.
He adds that increased competition from brick-and-mortar and online retailers could help parents save as companies work harder to earn shoppers' business.
RELATED STORY | Stores rolling out big clothing sales this back-to-school season
"If you are going to get those consumers to come shop with you, you need to make sure that you're offering them the best prices and have lots of deals and promotions that attract consumers in," Mathews said.
This year, more parents are timing purchases around sales and tax-free weekends.
"I'm hoping we save probably $50 or $60 based on what we spend," said shopper Katrina Stoneking.
Others are sticking to strict budgets.
"I think it's knowing which things to splurge on and which things to kind of save," said shopper Shayna VanKooten. "Backpacks I always try to splurge on because they last longer -- the good pencils and good crayons. Then paper I try to do the less expensive stuff."
According to a survey by NerdWallet, about 21% of families are also turning to free school supply drives, and 19% will buy at least some back-to-school clothes secondhand.
For many families, the spending doesn't stop after the first day of school — with sports, clubs and activities still ahead. NerdWallet found more than a third of parents, 37%, expect their child could miss at least one school activity this year because of the cost.
This back-to-school season, parents aren't stressing over the cost of one box of crayons. It's the total cost that's raising concern.
