Why does back-to-school shopping cost so damn much when families are actually buying less?
- Bruce Coffman
- Aug 15
- 6 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
Why are families simultaneously spending less in some ways, spending more in others, and still feeling like back-to-school costs are getting worse? Families are spending less. Families expect to spend more. Prices are higher. What the hell is going on?
AP News is reporting that families are feeling the squeeze of higher back to school costs particularly on children's shoes, which were up 3.2% in the first half of 2026. Families are turning to thrift and secondhand options, and retailers are pushing discounts. Children's shoes is a great example of economic pressure, creative spending strategies and what's going on with this whole mess because they:
genuinely need to be replaced
get outgrown quickly
can carry social pressure
have risen in price
and are already producing behavioral changes such as thrifting and buying fewer pairs
SOURCE: Families feel the pinch of higher children's shoe prices as kids head back to school from AP News
But then there are conflicting-looking numbers that make you go what the Hell. PwC says families expect to spend about $922 this year, with 47% expecting to spend more; A NerdWallet survey found planned spending averaging $611, down $130 from last year, with 25% saying they're cutting back because of higher living costs. SOURCE: US consumer opinion poll on back to school spending from Pwc
Deloitte found that 31% of surveyed K–12 parents qualify as “hyper value-seekers,” using four or more cost-saving behaviors, and describes intentional purchasing rather than simply buying the cheapest thing as a major theme. Nice things, real budgets ring a bell? SOURCE: Back to school spending holds steady during economic uncertainty from Deloitte US
Before you decide one of these surveys is bullshit, there's something you need to know: they're not measuring exactly the same thing. PwC's number is what families expect to spend per household. Deloitte's number is what K–12 parents expect to spend per student, and it also adjusts for inflation. Inflation is that other nasty beast nobody truly understands and everybody tosses around like they do. This isn't Deloitte, AP News and PwC arguing over the same numbers. They're measuring different slices of the pie. Read about the latest CPI numbers in plain speak here.
PwC does finally get useful.
Their breakdown says clothing/shoes average $278 per household, more than twice the spending on basic school supplies, while technology averages $222.
From AP, prices have risen in a category children literally outgrow, and families are responding by thrifting, hunting discounts, and compromising. AP's reporting specifically documents families shopping at Goodwill and looking for deals, while the article centers on children's footwear becoming more expensive. Like everything else?
What the what?
Families aren't necessarily buying less because everything suddenly became affordable. They're changing what they buy, where they buy it, when they buy it, and how carefully they shop because their dollars aren't stretching as far in the current economy.
Deloitte says spending per student is roughly flat nominally, but 6% lower year over year after adjusting for inflation—and the people doing the most “value-seeking” aren't necessarily the people spending the least. Still confusing, but basically you're not imagining higher prices. Economists use terms like "flat nominally," "adjusting for inflation," for whatever reasons they use them, but long story short, people are spending differently to keep up.
The human cost
NerdWallet reports that 37% of parents say their children will likely miss at least one school activity because of cost, and 24% expect to use buy-now-pay-later while 19% expect to use credit-card debt for back-to-school shopping. Children will miss out on things they otherwise would have participated in. And using credit or BNPL to cover ordinary back-to-school expenses can create additional financial obligations, depending on the product and terms. SOURCE: NerdWallet back to school costs article
The way we shop is changing, too
73% of parents say they plan to use AI somewhere in their back-to-school shopping journey, for research, comparison, budgeting, or finding deals. I personally say whatever works and you might be surprised by some suggestions and sources you wouldn't have discovered otherwise. Shopping isn't just “go to Target with a list” anymore. PwC says in-store shopping is expected to fall from 79% to 70%, while families are using marketplaces, brand sites, social media and AI in combination.
Before you read the rest, please take a minute to take part in our very own BTADW reader poll!
What's the first thing you cut when money gets tight?
0%Dining out
0%Clothes
0%Entertainment
0%Household extras like decor
What can you do about it?
The goal isn't to spend the least. It's to spend deliberately. “Hyper value-seekers” are using four or more cost-saving behaviors, but Deloitte says they actually plan to spend 14% more than other shoppers, suggesting that value-seeking isn't simply “buy the cheapest thing.”
What actually needs to be new?
Buy new when:
Safety, fit, hygiene or durability truly matter.
Consider secondhand when:
You just need basics like tee shirts and gently used will do just fine. I personally got myself some extremely nice used tee shirts from Mercari online that I couldn't tell from brand new. Read seller reviews carefully to avoid unpleasant surprises, but I've had good luck with multiple purchases from Mercari. Maybe even offset this year's back to school cost by selling some of your child's clothes from last year that are still in perfectly good shape but simply no longer fit.
Stop and ask:
Is this required by the school, useful to the child, or something the marketing machine convinced everybody they “need”? Unless it's a necessity, mark it off the list.
Consider unlikely sources:
Check your local Dollar Tree and Five Below for back to school basics like pens, paper, notebooks, folders and more. They have some awesome deals. Many Dollar Trees have abandoned the one price model and added extended selections so you can probably even pick up backpacks, socks and other things you might think have to go to a big box store to get for much less money. Hit the food section for snacks to send for lunch, too.
Specifically for shoes, I went to my favorite go to, Costco. With just a quick look, I didn't see a lot of options but I was surprised at the selection of insanely affordable children's clothing. Definitely check out Costco before you go spending a lot of money at your usual place. You can order from Costco for shipping without a membership. See their site for full details.
This article and its artwork were created with generative AI assistance and reviewed and edited by Bruce Coffman.
Continue down the rabbit hole
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Back to school. BTS. #BTS
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