Mommy never sat in front of a slot machine to come up with the money to cover back-to-school costs for her kids in the all-American version of the annual fall ritual.
But Woodbridge (Virginia) Patch reader Jessica, who responded to Patch's informal survey on what parents are doing to pay for increasing back-to-school costs, said she's gambled, used her credit card more than she'd like and bought things on buy-now, pay-later plans.
In general, survey respondents said it'll cost them between $800 and $1,000 to get their kids ready for school this fall. That's fairly consistent with the findings of a pair of scientific polls earlier this year.
Back-to-school costs are rising as inflation keeps prices elevated and tariffs add pressure to the cost of imported clothing, shoes, electronics and other goods. But what's on the back-to-school shopping list has changed dramatically, too.
They used to be mostly about what a student needed at a desk — tablets or spiral notebooks, crayons and glue, pencils and pens, and maybe a ruler or calculator.
Those items are still in kids' backpacks on the first day of school, but today's lists commonly add highlighters, dry-erase markers, multiple binders and folders, scientific or graphing calculators, headphones or earbuds and, in some districts, laptop chargers or other device accessories.
Current lists also routinely ask families for tissues, disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, paper towels and even zip-top bags — things that once were more likely to come out of a classroom or school budget. Then there are sports and activity fees, which can add hundreds of dollars more.
Clothes and shoes stand out as the back-to-school expense putting the most pressure on family budgets. Readers repeatedly pointed to them as the biggest hit, sometimes alongside winter gear, supplies and steadily rising school fees. Technology barely registered by comparison, and one parent noted that school-issued tablets keep that particular cost off the family bill.
Waukesha (Wisconsin) Patch reader Erica Smith estimated she will spend $1,000 on school fees, clothes, shoes, winter gear, supplies and lunches. Costs are higher this year, Smith said, "but it's always more than the last year, every year."
Smith said her credit card balances are already high, and selling old belongings and using pay-later plans only go so far. Selling used items puts only a fraction of what she paid back in her pocket, Smith said, and installment plans still require money upfront.
Even after taking those measures, Smith said, families in her situation may still not be able to afford higher-quality supplies and end up buying "cheap crap" that might not last half the school year.
Higher back-to-school costs hit families disproportionately, she said.
"That's the way of this world. People with way more money than they need and people who never have enough working themselves into an early grave, even with a tech/college degree."
Miranda (California) Patch AM reader Sandra Maldonado said she's barely getting by as it is, and the burden of back-to-school costs is causing her real anxiety.
"The prices of stuff where I live were already outrageous before inflation, and now they're more," Maldonado said.
She lives in a rural area, where she said costs are three times what they would be in the closest city.
"So just groceries alone, not to mention gas and electricity, is literally putting nails in my coffin," Maldonado said. "There is no way I am going to be able to make it here, but I have nowhere else to go and no family anymore, so what is going to happen to me and my kid?
"I am completely worried about us and others like us," Maldonado said. "I can't be the only one having these issues."
She isn't.
A quarter of Americans in a Talker Research survey said they had used buy-now, pay-later plans for school expenses. Others put purchases on credit cards, sold belongings, took out payday loans or headed to the pawnshop.
And like Jessica, the Woodbridge Patch reader, 8 percent said back-to-school expenses had made them desperate enough to gamble.
Maldonado has also sold some personal belongings and worked a few side jobs but said she is still struggling "to keep my head above water."
"I don't know what I'm going to do to pay for it all," she said.
A Good Morning America/Ipsos poll found parents expect to spend about $885 per child, and 68 percent said their usual purchases cost more than last year. Sports and other after-school activities account for the biggest share, averaging $337, followed by $275 for clothes and shoes.
PwC, the accounting and consulting firm formerly known as PricewaterhouseCoopers, put the average even higher at $922, with 47 percent planning to spend more than last year. Shopping habits are changing, too, with 61 percent of parents saying they let their kids add items directly to online carts, while nearly three-quarters expect to use AI to research products, compare prices, budget or find deals.
The National Retail Federation says families are still chasing value as the school year begins. In early August, shoppers had completed only 44 percent of their lists on average, with most planning to wrap up purchases in the week or two before classes start.
Sixty-one percent said they used AI-powered shopping tools to hunt for deals or recommendations, and secondhand and refurbished goods also gained ground, with 32 percent of K-12 shoppers and 47 percent of college shoppers reporting they had bought or planned to buy used items.
Nearly half of purchases were driven by coupons, sales or promotions, and 73 percent of shoppers said this year's deals were as good as or better than last year's.
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