Tips to help stretch your dollar for back to school shopping

SPOKANE, Wash. — Back to school shopping has become a proper American retail holiday.

The National Retail Federation conducts surveys every year to see the trends families are following as they check off their school supply lists.

But before your kids hop off the bus they're going to need a backpack stuffed with goodies.

The school lists are out and parents are preparing early for back to school.

"More than half of back to school and college shoppers had already started shopping by early July," said Katherine Cullen, Vice President of Industry and Consumer Insights with the National Retail Federation.

"Consumers are not feeling as financially healthy as maybe a year ago, but their financial situation actually remains pretty solid," said Jack Kleinhenz, Chief Economist for the National Retail Federation.

Kleinhenz said that feeling of financial strain has a lot to do with inflation.

"It looks like it's at a turning point, or turning a corner, but it still remains a key issue for household minds," Kleinhenz said.

According to the National Retail Federation the bill for families shopping for students grades K-12 is $875 dollars.

Electronics are the most expensive items on school lists, that includes headphones for some students, then clothing, and shoes.

"This has been one of the bigger drivers biggest drivers of spending since the onset of the pandemic, where there was a shift to consumers you know needing and utilizing electronics more heavily," said Cullen.

We've seen first hand from backpack drives and school supply giveaways in Spokane, families are lining up early to save.

"They want to spread out their shopping budget, consumers are spending more on these occasions and they want to layer that spend through multiple paychecks and over a longer period of time," said Cullen.

Shoppers are not just looking for discounts in stores. Over half of back to school shopping is now being done online.

If you're still trying to save money during back to school shopping here are a few tips from the National Retail Federation.

If you bought electronics last year, chances are they can be re-used. That will likely save you the most money.

Do some comparitive shopping online,some of the discount stores can offer the best prices for items like pencils, pens, and paper.

If brand names don't fit in the budget, look for store brand or generic products to get a better deal.

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