Ways to save on back-to-school items

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – It’s that time of the year again when parents have a long list of all the things their kids are going to need in school this year and the cost can quickly add up.

The National Retail Federation expects people to spend record amounts for both back-to-school shopping this year. Families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $890 on back-to-school items this year, approximately $25 more than last year’s record.

The NRF’s survey revealed that this increase is primarily driven by more demand for electronics
69 percent of back-to-school shoppers expect to buy electronics or other computer-related accessories. Total spending on electronics is expected to reach a record $15.2 billion this school year. As in past years, the top electronics consumers plan to purchase are laptops, tablets, and calculators.

Despite rising costs due to inflation, there are still a few easy ways you can save money this back-to-school season.

22News spoke with a shopper about what strategies they implement to save big on back-to-school items. “I recommend that families first buy the basic things, the books, the backpack and you know only the basics. You can try to compare and try to see this is a little less expensive and this is more expensive but focus first on the primary things and after that if you have money buy secondary things,” said Christopher Lopez of West Springfield.

Before you start shopping, set a budget and figure out how much you can actually spend for the various items on the list. Make a list of those needs and put them in order from most pressing to least and instead of buying everything right away compare prices online before you buy.

You may not be able to cover everything right away but creating this list will help you see what you need to tackle first.