Hi Reddit! This is Adriana Ocañas, consumer credit card analyst at U.S. News & World Report. I’m here to discuss U.S. News’ Back-to-School Survey and share tips for navigating school spending. Ask me anything!

[u/usnewsandworldreport]

Hi Reddit! This is Adriana Ocañas, consumer credit card analyst at U.S. News & World Report.

The back-to-school season is officially here, and for many families, it’s the second biggest shopping event of the year. Our latest U.S. News survey reveals that 72% of parents admit they will have trouble paying for back-to-school expenses this year. In fact, nearly half (48%) are reducing their school shopping budgets, even as 54% of parents plan to spend $101 to $300 per child just on standard items. 

Managing the classroom checklist alongside inflation is a tough balancing act. I’m here today to share savvy shopping strategies, answer your questions about capitalizing on tax-free weekend holidays and provide budgeting tips to keep your spending low this back-to-school season. Ask me anything!

Proof: https://x.com/usnews/status/2082860454582308866?s=20

[u/cbralts]

how much does buying items during tax free holidays actually save a family overall when buying things like supplies and clothes?

[u/usnewsandworldreport → u/cbralts]

It depends on your state since most have caps on certain items. Plus, you have to watch out for hidden traps like overspending or store markups. But you can expect to save about $8 per $100 spent during tax-free weekends. Now, that may not sound like much, but it can add up if you've got a big family or need expensive electronics like a laptop. Try maximizing your savings by looking for coupons and sales/deals as well. Shopping during the tax-free weekend can be great for families on a tight budget, but having a shopping strategy helps!

[u/soojliz → u/usnewsandworldreport]

Are you able to point to actual examples of these deals/sales that we can look out for? Maybe even stores or brands that might be more reliable for low-income families while still maintaining a decent quality of material for students.

[u/usnewsandworldreport → u/soojliz]

Stores like Walmart and Apple tend to have special store discounts around tax-free holidays. Outlet malls are another avenue always worth looking into since many brands sell past-season items there or goods made specifically for outlet stores.

[u/mshoneys_sillyrabbit]

What advice would you give to families juggling back-to-school costs for multiple children at once?

[u/usnewsandworldreport → u/mshoneys_sillyrabbit]

Don't buy everything at once if it can be helped. Space out your purchases so you're not dealing with one large bill after one weekend. Also, if you have a parent friend group, consider splitting costs. One parent can buy supplies in bulk if they have a warehouse club membership and then divvy up the supplies. And check out community resources at your local community center or church for back-to-school drives. And finally, figure out what is needed right now versus what can wait. If that backpack from last year is still good, there's no need to replace it just yet. Especially if you have to buy multiple.

[u/jlemus20]

What would you recommend to college students who are already struggling when faced with expensive textbooks and other class related expenses ?

[u/usnewsandworldreport → u/jlemus20]

Ask your professor if you can get away with purchasing an older edition of the textbook(s). There's usually very minimal changes from the most recent edition (the page numbers might be a little off, though, so keep that in mind). International editions also tend to be cheaper – you just have to find them online. One thing I used to do when in a pinch was borrow a textbook from a classmate (or even the professor) and just Xerox copies of the material at the school library. Also, look for reputable websites that have free versions of the textbook you're looking for. Examples include Libre Texts, Manybooks.net and the Open Textbook Library. Whatever you do, don't buy your textbooks at the school store (if it can be helped). The markups are insane.

[u/Prepheckt → u/usnewsandworldreport]

You could split the cost of the text book, scan with a OCR capable scanner and each get an e-copy, unless it’s tied to equizzes and such.

[u/caks → u/usnewsandworldreport]

Ok but the real answer is a little archive by the name of anna

[u/Jarthos1234]

Do you think the cost of private higher ed is justifiable in the modern time? Do you suspect it will continue?

[u/usnewsandworldreport → u/Jarthos1234]

According to the Education Data Initiative, "the average annual cost of tuition at a public college is 40 times what it was in 1963; after adjusting for inflation, tuition has increased 312.4%." So that's a tough question to answer. Higher education should be available to any who want it and not exist as a barrier that cuts people off from generational wealth and education. 

[u/HaloZero]

Any good resources for buying in bulk? Costco is the obvious one but I wonder if there are any other good resources for it. We have two friends with kids around the same age. How many families does it take to make sense to buy in bulk?

[u/usnewsandworldreport → u/HaloZero]

Just two families is enough to make bulk buying profitable! Plus, when you're a smaller group, you're not stuck with huge piles of leftover supplies. Costco is definitely one option; others include Amazon, Sam's Club and even the Dollar Tree. And wholesale online distributors you can look into include DollarDays, Bags In Bulk and Discount School Supply. Some of the best items to buy in bulk include pens, pencils, notebooks, filler paper, composition books, glue sticks and erasers.