While no one claimed having children was going to be cheap, the cost of back-to-school shopping gives me sticker shock every year.

The National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates that the average household will spend just under $860 on back-to-school shopping for K-12 students returning to the classroom for the 2025-2026 academic year. (That said, depending on how the summer has gone, you may be willing to pay any price to get them back into a daily routine.)

Parents of older kids aren’t off the hook, unfortunately. The NRF also estimates that the average household with a college student will spend $1,325 for all their needed supplies before returning them to campus.

The good news is that back-to-school shopping doesn’t have to overwhelm your budget, no matter how eye-watering the costs

See Full Page