2026 Back-to-School Shopping Report: Spending Down, But Costs Add Up

Back-to-school season is nearly here, and NerdWallet’s annual back-to-school shopping survey found an unexpected shift in a year where costs keep going up: On average, back-to-school shoppers — defined as parents of K-12 or college students who plan to back-to-school shop this year — intend to spend less than they did last year.

Back-to-school shoppers estimate they’ll spend $611, on average, on back-to-school expenses such as clothing, supplies and books, according to the NerdWallet survey, conducted online by The Harris Poll. That’s $130 less than last year’s average, and around what shoppers were spending back in 2023 ($610).

The lower estimated spending is surprising, given that everyday costs remain high. But rising expenses might be exactly why back-to-school spending is down: The survey also found that a quarter of back-to-school shoppers (25%) plan to cut back on back-to-school spending due to higher costs of living, and shoppers are more likely to seek out sales this year — 62% vs. 52% in 2025.

“Inflation is high and rising. Rarely do our employers increase our pay at the same rate. This leads to uncomfortable affordability challenges. Even if you know back-to-school expenses come at the same time each year, they can be difficult to plan for when prices are rising faster than typical.” — Elizabeth Renter, NerdWallet Senior Economist

More than a third of back-to-school shoppers (36%) will set a firm budget for back-to-school shopping this year.
Parents of kids in K-12 or college plan to spend $531, on average, on school costs not directly for their own children, and over half (51%) feel overwhelmed by financial requests from their children’s school.
About 1 in 5 back-to-school shoppers (21%) feel pressure to keep up with what other parents are spending on back-to-school items.
More than a third of parents (37%) say their children will likely miss out on at least one school activity this upcoming school year due to cost.

“With other costs, like gas, going up this year, it’s no surprise parents are planning to curb their back-to-school spending,” says Sara Rathner, a NerdWallet credit cards expert. “But a lot of expenses feel out of their control. This can make it tough to stick to a budget.”

36% of back-to-school shoppers will set a firm budget

Starting with a budget can help shoppers stay within their means when buying new clothes and supplies for the upcoming school year. According to the survey, around one-third of back-to-school shoppers (36%) will set a firm budget for that shopping this year. And 3 in 10 back-to-school shoppers (30%) say they have talked or will talk to their kids about the budget, an important step in setting expectations.

Keeping spending in check can take careful planning. About 1 in 5 back-to-school shoppers (21%) say they’ll seek out free options for this year’s school supplies and 19% will purchase at least some back-to-school clothes secondhand. And while both of these strategies can be time-consuming, they could also help families on a tight budget stretch their money further.

More than a quarter of back-to-school shoppers (26%) say they’ll rely on their state’s tax-free shopping days for back-to-school shopping. Not all states offer tax-free shopping days, and many that do limit which items qualify and how much shoppers can spend tax-free. Still, these sales tax holidays can be a boon for eligible families.

How to save on back-to-school spending

Shopping sales, seeking out free or secondhand goods, and taking advantage of tax-free shopping days can all be great ways to save money on supplies and other school needs. Also consider:

Buying supplies in bulk and sharing the goods (and costs!) with friends and family.
Sticking to the school supply list and skipping the nice-to-have extras.

“Stacking multiple ways to save, such as shopping sales while also using a cash-back app, is a great way to get the best possible deal,” Rathner says.

The parent ‘subsidy’: $531, on average

Back-to-school spending is just the beginning; many school year costs come well after that box of crayons has turned into colorful nubs at the bottom of a backpack.

The survey found that parents of kids in K-12 or college plan to spend $531, on average, on school costs for the broader community, like crowdfunded classroom supplies, teacher wish list items, fundraising and school support.

Some may be feeling fundraising fatigue: Over half of parents of K-12 or college kids (51%) feel overwhelmed by financial requests from their children’s school.

How to handle ongoing financial requests

Financial asks from the school, PTO or PTA may seem excessive, while also being essential to fund school events, assemblies, supplies and other programming. That need doesn’t mean you have to put yourself in a financially precarious situation to contribute.

Consider your family’s situation when deciding how to best give back to the school community. Maybe you don’t have excess funds to dedicate to school support, but you have time to volunteer at the next school event. Do what you can, when you can.

If you’re reasonably able to financially contribute but the costs seem to sneak up, start a school support sinking fund. By saving a little each month, you’ll have funds on hand to fulfill last-minute requests from school without straining your monthly budget.

“The requests for money can feel constant, and you feel guilty if you can’t contribute as generously as you’d like,” Rathner says. “Setting aside some extra funds as part of your back-to-school budget can help. And if you can spare it, give a bit more generously as a way to help other families who are short on cash at the moment.”

37% say kids will miss out due to finances this school year

Parents are under pressure, both real and perceived, to spend big for back-to-school. According to the survey, about 1 in 5 back-to-school shoppers (21%) feel pressure to keep up with what other parents are spending, and 27% say social media has or will likely influence some of their back-to-school purchases. The pressure may also be coming from inside the house: A quarter of back-to-school shoppers (25%) say the majority of their shopping will be on non-necessities requested by their children.

Some parents may respond to this pressure to spend by taking on debt: About a quarter of back-to-school shoppers (24%) say they’ll likely use buy now, pay later (BNPL) services, and 19% say they’ll likely go into credit card debt for back-to-school shopping.

Parents might also turn to debt if they felt it would help their kids socially. The survey found that 43% of parents would go into debt to pay for back-to-school items that would help their child fit in, and 45% say the same about paying for extracurriculars their children want to participate in.

Other parents may draw financial boundaries with their kids to keep things realistic. According to the survey, 37% of parents say their children will likely miss out on at least one school activity this upcoming school year because of the cost, and 15% say they’ll have to say no to activities their children want to do this school year due to cost. These conversations may not be easy, but they could help parents stay out of debt for nonessentials.

How to set financial boundaries for kids this school year

No parent wants to disappoint their kid by saying “no” for financial reasons, but setting boundaries isn’t just good for your wallet, it’s a valuable lesson for children: Our money is finite, and while debt can be used for emergencies, it shouldn’t be a go-to for non-necessities.

Talk to your kids about the budget, not just for back-to-school shopping, but costs throughout the school year. By having this conversation now, you can work together to decide what’s important to them and what costs can be skipped without much of an impact. And if you can’t reasonably pay for any extras, tell them that. For older children, this may be a good opportunity for them to find a part-time job to help cover those discretionary expenses.

“This is a great time of year to teach your kids money lessons by involving them in planning and shopping for the school year,” Rathner says. “Learning about needs versus wants will serve them well as they get older and become financially independent.”

The 2026 Back-to-School survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of NerdWallet from June 2-4, 2026, among 582 U.S. adults ages 18 and older who are parents of kids in K-12/college, among whom 558 will back-to-school shop this year. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 5.3 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact [email protected].

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