It’s officially “crunch time” when it comes to heading back-to-school.
Some kids in North Carolina are already back in the classroom, students in Norfolk go back on Monday and over the next few weeks, the rest of the schools will be back in session.
While some kids are ready to go, there’s no doubt that other families still need to get last-minute supplies.
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I tagged along as one Chesapeake mom and teacher knocked off items on her list.
“[Summer] went by really fast – too fast,” says Brittany Marsh as she runs down the list of items she needs for her classroom.
Not only does she need to plan for the dozens of kids she oversees, but for her own two children as well.
Minerva and Maxine Marsh are heading to elementary and middle school this year. Each new grade level bringing new classroom requirements. As Marsh compares pencils and prices, she says, "we'll do these ones because Maxine loves mechanical pencils to draw with."
We walked through the aisles together and Marsh checked off pencils, erasers, dry erase boards, markers, folders, and binders.
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"I like their composition notebooks because they're pretty cheap. These ones are. These ones are 50 cents and they're colorful," she says.
Colorful and cheap — a winning combo for families trying to stay on budget.
"Year-over-year, we are not seeing that many differences and how big the discounts are,” says Samantha Gordon with Consumer Reports.
Samantha Gordon tracks prices on tested products for Consumer Reports. We talked about the landscape of shopping right now.
She tells me, "what I have seen is a lot of items that were available last year are still available this year, and they are selling for less than they were last year, which might mean you're getting an older model pair of headphones or an older laptop, but they're still going to perform just as well.”
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According to a 2024 study from Deloitte, on average, parents are spending $586 per child this year. The report finds its down just $11 from 2023.
Meanwhile Marsh is hoping she can keep it under $300 for her and her daughters.
“It adds up so fast,” Marsh says.
If you’re looking to save, consumer experts recommend leaning into stores that price match, bringing coupons and downloading apps designed to give cash back.
This isn't just advice for kids going back to school soon, it can be used all year. Students and teachers are going to need to re-stock on supplies and get new items as the seasons change.
The most important thing Gordon says is to make a budget, stick to your list, and do not spend money you don't have.
