BUFFALO, N.Y. — It’s that time of the year again when you pile the family into the minivan, check for that school supply list sent by the district and head to the nearest store. As you can imagine, just like everything else, the cost of school supplies is up.

What You Need To Know

  • National Retail Federation says on average families will spend $864 on back-to-school supplies

  • Prices are 24% higher compared to Fall of 2019

  • Shop around, compare costs, use shopping portals, and download price tracking apps to save money

  • Don't buy everything at once, split shopping in half like a football game

It’s back-to-school shopping for Kathie Gallardo. She’s on a mission to find her grandchildren their kindergarten and third-grade supplies.

“You have to look at prices, but some of them aren’t that bad,” Gallardo said. “But I only have the younger kids.”

It doesn’t surprise her that on average, families plan to spend $864 on back-to-school supplies, according to the National Retail Federation.

“They have to buy the lunch boxes, they have to buy the backpacks,” Gallardo said.

Calculators that run $100. Then there are post-it notes, pens and Gorilla Glue. It adds up.

Charles Lindsey is an associate professor of marketing at UB. He says a study from Credit Karma shows parents expect to take on debt.

“Over a third of parents for this fall indicate that they will not be able to afford school supplies,” Lindsey said.

He adds a Lending Tree study shows stress is on the rise as well.

“Up 12% from last year, 75% of parents are significantly stressed,” Lindsey said.

Lindsey says parents will be paying 24% more compared to fall 2019.

“Most of that can be attributed to inflation,” Lindsey said.

Lindsey does have some cost-saving tips. He says it is crucial to shop around, use shopping portals and download price tracking apps. Coupon sites like Coupon Cabin are your next bet. Next, Lindsey says watch for loss leader deals, where big box stores sell items at cost or at a loss.

“It could be 10% to 20% below cost,” Lindsey said.

Over the Teacher’s Desk, preparations are underway for yet another busy year.

“We just opened the system and we are booked through Thanksgiving,” said John Mika, director of The Teacher’s Desk.

And the need keeps growing, so Mika hopes to expand.

“[There is] $7.5 million in school supplies go out the door every year,” Mika said.

Teacher Nancy Scirto says while districts give teachers an allotted amount to spend, the total for some teachers could be in the thousands.

“You don’t just buy the pencils for them, the paper or the crayons, you buy incentives,” Scirto said.

The first-grade teacher says if there is one thing parents can buy, it’s a book bag.

“So that any notes that will go home, or any papers or anything that would go home, can get home safely,” Scirto said.

In the back-to-school section of Walmart, Gallardo’s main qualm, which we found for many, is how specific lists are when it comes to folders.

We asked Lindsey can we expect to see another 24% increase between this fall and fall 2025. He says nobody knows, it all depends on inflation, but if history is any predictor, things will even out. 

As for the Teacher’s Desk, they’ve already completed their goal of packing up 15,000 Pancho Packs. This year, they are going international, to Ukraine and the Kingdom of Tonga. They already need volunteers for next year.

When it comes to college students and back-to-school, the National Retail Federation says on average families plan to spend $1,199.

But once those students are in school, there are groceries and other dorm essentials they'll need. This is where credit cards come in handy.

We got some tips from the Better Business Bureau on how your college student can protect themselves. Once they turn 18, the credit card applications start arriving in the mail.

The BBB says 18-24-year-olds are the most scammed when it comes to credit cards and online purchases. It's all too easy to fall for a good deal, and end up with a stolen identity or card and a lot of debt.

"It could affect you for a long time," said Melanie McGovern of the BBB. "Also, use your credit wisely, and check your credit report so you can see if there is any fraud or if anyone has stolen your identity. It is so important that people are their own advocates for their credit."

Another scam that is circling is fake emails from colleges and universities finance departments. The BBB says do not give any information back. Instead, call your institution's department based using the number on its website to get more information.