School supply costs hitting families hard

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Parents and teachers are once again checking off items on those school supply lists, and the costs are hitting hard for some families.

Parents say its normal to spend a couple hundred dollars, especially if you shop for multiple kids.

“I got everything for 50 bucks for our kids and now it’s like I got everything for like $250 or $300,” stated Synthia Armstead, a parent. “So, it’s way more expensive now,”

Back to school shoppers still try to stay savvy when it comes to saving money. According to Fisher Hawaii, the best deals start in July and go all the way through mid August to help even the last minute shoppers. Parents, however, suggest not waiting that long in case there’s a shortage of supplies.

“I do love Fisher because their prices do compare to, I mean, everybody. They’re actually a little bit cheaper,” said Katy Palacios, a teacher.

Families needing some extra help can rely on back-to-school donation drives.

“A lot of teachers, we depend on donations for our school supplies,” said teacher Desiree Gomez. “A lot of kids nowadays, they come to school without a lot of the school supplies and they really need it.”