“Mom, when are we going back to school shopping — like for clothes and shoes and stuff?” This question caught me off guard this year, as my oldest of five kids headed into 5th grade, and had seen one too many commercials for back-to-school sneaker sales.
Coming off a summer of trying to make magical memories on vacation, at pools, and at amusement parks, it also had me thinking about money and what my kids really needed to have a great start to the school year.
The back-to-school financial challenge is far from a personal problem. According to the National Retail Federation, per-person spending on back-to-school for years K through 12 has gone up from $563.49 in 2007 to $858.07 in 2025.
For some households, including mine (multiply everything by five kids), this is not only unreasonable but an uncomfortable budget stretch at an inopportune time. We limp into August financially like we limp into January after the holidays — maxed out, and fulfilled that we had a lot of fun at summer camp and the beach, but ready to pull back on spending a bit.
Of course, it’s always nice to have something new to start the school year with. But does it have to be all the new things at once? And doesn’t a kid still love new shoes if we get them in, say, October, to space it out a bit? Yes.
I’ve decided there are a few ways I’ll avoid the Instagram-mom pressure and back-to-school commercials that will swirl around in August. Here’s how our family does it.
Some new things, not all the new things
The one item my kids have decided is their must-have new purchase each year is a backpack. I’m on board with this because their backpacks are usually quite worn out by the end of each school year, with unknown sticky substances in the pockets, scuffs or holes on the bottom, and often characters, brands, or designs on the front that no longer reflect who they are (how can SpongeBob become uncool in one year though?). So, I bought them new backpacks.
New-to-us outfits
I see nothing wrong with secondhand shopping. It’s more sustainable and economical, and honestly, there are more choices.
My kids still love a good thrift store back-to-school trip, where they can get three new shirts for under $30, instead of one new shirt for $50. I grew up with my single mom taking me to garage sales, and my own kids have inherited the thrifting gene. That said, I help them find clothes that look new, and even though they are at a secondhand store, sometimes they still have tags on them.
We stick to the supply list
Our school district has things on the must-buy list, such as Ziplock bags, headphones, and sanitizer.
Gone are the days of needing elaborate pencil bags of markers, scissors, glue, pencils, and other items. While it varies district to district, I’m realizing that keeping the school supplies simple means they don’t get lost, especially when the school usually puts out group supplies if there’s an artsy project happening.
Back-to-school haircut
My kids get a haircut every few months. They don’t need an additional haircut because school is starting. This is just extra and unnecessary pressure and money.
Little extras
Keychains and necklaces and bracelets and backpack stickers, all these things can quickly add up. While one of these is fun occasionally, and I’m not above letting a kid grab a random keychain with a favorite character at a little toy machine next to the grocery gumball machine, it’s not something we seek out or that I encourage my kids to buy.
Elaborate back-to-school signs for pictures
The viral chalkboards can cost $100 or an afternoon with elaborate Cricut skills. The ones that say every detail, such as your kids’ top five favorite foods, an elaborate summer memory, and what grade they are going into. I’m all for keeping these memories and cute signs, but we do not need a big fancy board.
This year, my kids filled in a piece of dry-erase paper with some details. One did gripe about it after having seen another kid’s fancy board, but there are some battles I’m willing to pick as a parent with a budget.
A new lunchbox
Unless it has “Paw Patrol” on it and my kid has grown out of it, we aren’t replacing the lunch box. It still holds food, and brown bags work just as well, too. I’d rather spend money on water bottles that don’t leak (I love the Owala right now).
Undoubtedly, some parents like to prioritize all new things at back-to-school shopping, and that is OK. But my family can’t afford that, and that’s OK too. We all know it’s the little notes in the lunchbox and the bus stop hugs that matter more than all the new things anyway.
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