How Much Do You Spend on Back to School? Share & Enter to Win a $50 Target Gift Card!
Enter our Hip2Save’s Engaged Reader Monthly Giveaway and share how much you typically spend on back-to-school shopping.
Hey, Hip community! 👋🏻
In case you missed it, we recently started a new monthly reader giveaway where we celebrate & reward our most engaged readers! Every month, an unannounced surprise blog post will go live to spark some discussion in the comments.
July is nearly over, and with back to school on the horizon, we’re thrilled to announce our next Engaged Reader Monthly Giveaway below as we talk all things back to school spending! 🍎
We want to hear from you!
🚨 Engaged Reader Monthly Giveaway Question:
How much do you typically spend on back-to-school shopping [per child] — think supplies, clothes, & other school necessities. Has it changed over the years?
Share by putting your comment below about how you spend on back-to-school shopping for our Hip community to read.
By leaving a comment about your school supply budget, you’re entering to win a $50 Target Gift Card!
We know back-to-school shopping can put a serious dent in your wallet, especially these days with prices climbing on just about everything.
That’s why we’re so excited to pick TWO lucky winners a chance to win a Target gift card! 🎯 Just be sure to leave a comment below, and you’ll be entered to win a $50 Target gift card!
Whether it helps cover the cost of school supplies, lunchbox snacks, or a fresh first-day outfit, we hope this little extra cash brings some relief during one of the busiest (and most expensive) times of the year. 💸✏️👟
How to Enter:
- Comment below: Share how much you typically spend on back-to-school shopping [per child]. And has it changed over the years?
- Duration: The commenting entry period starts on Wednesday, 7/23/25 at 7 AM MT and ends on Friday, 7/25/25 at 6:59 AM MT.
- Eligibility: All approved comments within the entry period are eligible.
Winner Notifications:
Winners will be contacted via email at the email address associated with their Hip2Save account or the email used when leaving their comments. You do not need to include your email address within your comment. All giveaway correspondence will come from our giveaway team at giveaways@hip2save.com.
Here’s what our Hip team shared about how much they spend on back-to-school shopping & how it’s changed over the years:
“I don’t usually go into back-to-school shopping with a set budget since each of my kids has different needs at their different ages – this year I’ll have one in high school, one in middle school, and one in elementary school, so they’re always drastically different. I do make sure to shop at bigger box stores for affordable essentials, and thankfully, their North Face backpacks have held up so great over the years, I haven’t had to replace them yet!
For clothes, I mostly buy secondhand throughout the year, but I started a tradition 5 years ago where I take each of them to pick out one brand-new outfit before the first day, and they get to pick the store. I try to limit it to $100 per kiddo since name-brand pieces can add up quickly when you’re looking for a head-to-toe outfit. They all love it so much, and it makes their first day feel extra special, so it’s worth the one-time splurge to me.” – Sara
“I don’t set a budget, but I always shop sales and focus on essentials. As my kids got older, I spent less on supplies and more on clothes, aside from a good calculator. A quality backpack like Jansport lasts for years.
Early in the school year, I stick to basics: a few new tees, sweatshirts, and shoes since they can layer into fall. I shop outlets, TJMaxx, and discount stores for the best deals. For middle and high school, I wait to buy most supplies until classes start, since many use Chromebooks. When they were younger, I’d start earlier and shop Walmart and Dollar Tree to keep costs low.” – Amber
“I never kept track, but one thing I did to save money was to buy a lot when the school supplies started to hit the clearance section (especially Target). I would buy a ton to donate to the school and keep in a box for us to pull from throughout the school year.” – Angela
“I’m right there with Angela! I don’t necessarily have a set amount, I just make sure to shop around and throughout the year, if I see great deals, I buy them and store them to have in excess. I always price compare, sometimes I build the exact same cart at multiple retailers to find the best price points based on what Ava needs that year.
For things like clothing or shoes, I tend to only buy replacements or things she needs more of, new sizes, etc., and now I buy most of her shoes from Walmart lol. They are so cute and you can’t beat the prices! (especially when she hits a growth spurt every couple of months)” – Monica
“Back-to-school spending has definitely gotten more expensive for me over the years. When they were little, I could just buy everything for them, but now they each have their own style and, of course, are into name brands. I feel like we spend about double what we used to spend when the boys were in elementary school.
We actually went back to school shopping last weekend with all our boys (we’ve got three boys in high school now heading into 9th, 10th, & 12th grade). We still have a few things to pick up, but after we get those items, we will have spent about $350-400 per kid.
A breakdown of where that money went per kid:
- Shoes ($75-$100)
- Backpack & School supplies ($50-$75ish)
- New socks, underwear, and belt ($50-$75ish)
- Clothes (3-4 pairs of jeans, 3-4 pairs of athletic shorts, 5 new tees, & hoodie) $200ish
We spent a lot this year, but this is usually our big clothes shopping trip of the year for the boys. The rest of the year, we just get things randomly when we find them on sale/thrifting. I do feel like we got some really great deals (most items at 50% off or more). We shopped at discount stores like TJ Maxx & Marshalls first, then hit up a local Outlet Mall where we ended up getting a majority of things that way they could still shop their name brands they love, but we could save.” – Liz
“I no longer have kids in school (first year for that), but I will say I never really kept track or set a budget either. Mostly because when my daughter attended in-person learning, she went to a Catholic school and they required a specific uniform that could only be purchased through a company the school approved.
One way we saved money on uniforms was that our school runs a resale shop, and parents would donate uniforms that their kids had outgrown, and they sold them super cheaply. I saved money by purchasing 90% of my daughter’s clothes there and would then donate the uniforms she outgrew from the previous year. She always gets to pick out new shoes and a backpack, and I didn’t set a limit since those were the only things she could “wear” that expressed her own style.
She had a backpack from Vera Bradley that I bought on their discount site for years, and it held up so nicely that it still looks brand new, and she often uses it for vacations. The school also provided each student with a MacBook, so other than a notebook and pens/pencils, we really didn’t need any other supplies. I will say that her last year of high school was the best because she did online learning and didn’t need any supplies other than her laptop!” – Trish
We can’t wait to hear all about your back-to-school spending habits and kick off the start of another great school year with our amazing community!
Happy back-to-school from all of us at Hip2Save! ☀️ We love and appreciate you all. 💕
Homeschool for the win on this one. Nothing 😂
A Star Hip2Saver is a recognized member of our Hip2Save community hand selected by our team for demonstrating a long history of engagement with helpful & friendly comments across Hip2Save.com and our social channels. Our Star Hip2Saver badge acts as a verification for readers who know the ins and outs of all Hip2Save sets out to accomplish — assisting our community to live extraordinary lives on ordinary budgets. Readers cannot pay or provide any sort of exchange in order to earn this badge. Rather, they are invited to participate by a member of the Hip2Save team and opt to have the Star Hip2Saver badge added to their profile & comments.
$95.oo just on supplies – this year they had a “kit” we could buy
Doesnt include sneakers, backpack, water bottles, clothes etc. etc.
Just a few dollars for friends kids
100.00 at least with middle school (times 2 kids) needing binders for every class and the start of the fancy calculators! Then don’t forget we need the coolest nike sneaks, newest cool water bottle and whatever else is the trend LOL
I once found a TI 84 at the thrift store for $5. It’s now on my fourth kid!
Around $50.00
We homeschool, so the expense is mainly the cost of consumable textbooks. I save my Staples recycle points and get all the notebooks, pencils, erasers, etc… for free. Usually it ends up being $100-$150 in books that can’t be bought secondhand and we are good to go!
Spent $100 ish on school supplies , $120 on shoes , $250 on clothing. I have an incoming 8th grader, the price has gone up because I now have to shop adult sizes.
$7.50
I have two tweens in middle school and with clothes, shoes, and school supplies I try to budget $250 each. I try to be intentional with my purchases and stick to the needs list …if it’s a want/wish list item ( the water bottle du jour of the moment) I wait for a good sale because ofc I’m H2S 🙂
Back to school shopping is a day that I get to spend with my Granddaughter. She is 11 now and we have been doing it since she started Kindergarten. We make a day of it and have lunch together (I play hooky from work for the day). She brings her supply list and there’s always the extra, like some clothes, backpack, etc. Her taste has gotten more expensive over the years, now she likes to go to Lululemon and Sephora. Not sure of the total cost, it varies from year to year.
She will cherish this! How very sweet!
My boys are on the thrifting trend, although thrifting doesn’t seem to be so thrift lately. I have a high schooler and a sophomore in college,and between textbooks, Chromebook costs and other supplies, I probably spend between $300-$400 for both.
We spend about $50-$100 per child, which includes school supplies, clothes, shoes, electronics, etc. Inflation and tariffs has caused the changed over the years.
Always encouraged my kids to wait a few weeks into the school year to buy fashion. One, it’s too hot to wear most fall clothes and it gave them a chance to see what trends others were wearing. Sales were better later as well.
$50-75 per kid. Try to shop those sales for all the required supplies. Don’t really spend much on new clothes because it’s too hot for winter stuff yet!
Around $150-$200 for 2 kids for supplies and some new clothes.
Biggest expense – new shoes! Budgeting 100.00 for daily wear shoes. The rest will wait until after classes start so I know what we really need. Our youngest is graduating this year, so time to deplete the surplus school supply box that’s been in my closet for nearly 2 decades! I have always stocked up on the promo discounted items like crayons, paper and notebooks and put them in this box. Also hit the clearance sections after school starts for more surplus stock like book covers. Buying good quality backpacks and totes when found on clearance saves lots of money in the long run. We buy most clothing items later on, since it’s too hot to wear jeans right away anyway.
I have two kids, one in elementary and one in high school. Around $200-$300 for both.
$100
We are at about $65-$75 per kid. We really try to save every penny.
When my daughter was born (8 years ago!), I decided to start buying school supplies. Each year I got the school supply list and purchased the items after all the supplies went on clearance. I did one grade a year and so, after 6 years, I accumulated all her school supplies by the time she started school for a fraction of the cost.
$70. I buy school supplies on clearance and sale throughout the year. We have a school supply closet,
Up to $100 per child maybe? I find all the deals and stockpile throughout the year because of you guys!
For the actually school supply list, probably about $30/kid.
Around $75
It has definitely changed over the years. Now that they’re in college we spend about $200 per child
About $300 for 2 kids. Including backpack, shoes, clothes, & school supplies.
I spent about $15 this year on supplies. She’s in 4th grade, and the list they give is easily covered by Staples/ Office Depot & Walmart deals. We have school uniforms (polos), so I usually buy those a size ahead when they go on sale at Children’s Place or Old Navy, the shirts for about $5 a piece, and shorts about 10. Socks and underwear I also buy a size ahead when they go on sale. Shoes & play clothes are split between sales & her picking out some things she likes as needed.
I have spent around $75
I don’t have a set budget, but I start buying supplies the minute summer starts. I usually get their backpacks half off at this time, same with sneakers- I just buy a size up. We thrift a lot of school supplies in the summer as well. With 2 boys who are not picky about anything, I’d say never over $200 for everything.
Probably a couple hundred. Mostly clothing and new sneakers. The school doesn’t ask for supplies so I send in that big pack of Ticonderoga pencils that’s usually on sale here and there, and a family pack of tissues…when H2S alerts me to a great deal!
about 500 per kid. Registration fees, school supplies, and clothes…. At the stage where both outgrew most of their school clothes.
My kids are grown now. But this is the perfect time for me to replenish my supply of all these products.
I only have one kid left in school. We have spent $300 and still need about $200- $300 more – this is including shoes and clothes, backpack, lunchbox and supplies. Everything is just a lot more expensive now.
About $100 just on supplies but I will say that it has gotten better as she gets older which is great. Clothes and shoes are another thing……
Actual supplies this year was probably less than $20 because I only needed to raid my stash of supplies. Usually I budget a couple hundred for the inevitable new backpack (every few years), new shoes, lunchbox, etc.
budget parent 1 middle schooler and 1 high school schools I always buy school stuff on sale
I hope those large amounts are including clothing/shoes? I wait for the Target sale and teacher coupon and spend less than $100 to cover my entire classroom. Parents don’t need to spend anything, but I do request that their child brings a backpack and water bottle. I also send out a “wish list” for donations, in case they want to contribute. I spend hardly anything on my own child’s supplies, but I do get him new shoes and a new dress for myself.
We’re aiming for $175 for clothes/shoes/backpack and another $25 for school supplies. I’m predicting it will be closer to $300 when all is said and done, though 🤦🏼♀️
My daughter will be a junior in high school. I fear my budget will be spent on shoes. All of the girls wear Uggs and Birkenstock…not dupes. I know labels should not be important, but high school girls can be the worst. The only positive is at her age she stopped growing.
My son will attend a trade school starting this year so with shirts, jeans, boots, coat and other supplies $400
I would say around 250 . This year I was able to bet a nice back pack second hand and tried see what school supplies were still in good shape for next year.
It really depends on what the closets are looking like and which grade they’re going into. I imagine it will be at least $100. I have to get 2 new backpacks and some shoes, so it may be more.
We usually spend around $200 each kiddo for clothes. School supplies maybe $20-$50? We don’t necessarily buy back to school shoes, we just get those as deals pop up. A couple weeks ago we got 3 pairs of converse and socks for $105 with their clearance sale.
Spending has definitely changed over the years and varies between our kids. We always spend more for school supplies at the elementary age. It seems there are more asks for the extras at that age. My high schooler usually just needs a new binder, pens, and some filler paper.
Our high schooler who is very frugal and prefers thrifting. She also hasn’t changed in size in over 3 yrs so she has a lot of clothes and shoes that still fit. She likes to just buy things here and there instead of buying a bunch before school starts.
Our youngest is going in to middle school and hit a growth spurt. So, we will likely be spending a bit more on her this year. She will also need new tennis shoes for PE and PE uniform. We will probably just buy a few things to start and then let her shop for more towards the end of September. We live where it’s hot until end of Oct. so buying warm weather clothes doesn’t make sense until then especially with a growing kiddo! And experience has shown that what they think they’ll like actually changes after starting school.
.about $150, then the additional money for sports, fall=football…
About $100 for just supplies that the teachers need. I do get extra for the teachers incase they need it, which we know they always do. If I’m including the backpacks, lunchbox and shoes and clothes I’d say about $300.
I have one starting college this year, so I don’t want to think what we have spent. Thanks to Hip2Save, I have picked up some stuff for his dorm room throughout the year. Haven’t seen his list of books yet. He is a biochem major and those science books are pricey.
Not much actually. I would say around 30 for supplies or about 70 including clothes.
About 50 i would say.
my 2 go to a Christian private school and we have to supply EVERYTHING. I’m assuming $400 just for school supplies and that is watching sales. Our lists include computer mouse, mouse pad, planner, graphing calculators, graph paper, multimedia sketch pad for art, bible with case, case for Chromebook, along with all the usual paper, pens, pencils, notebook, folders, glue, etc. Plus… clorox wipes, hand sanitizer, ziploc bags and tissues for the homeroom teacher. That’s not even starting with backpacks, lunch boxes, shoes, clothes. It’s a lot!
I’m a teacher and a mom of a high school student and a college student. Our budget varies depending what my kids need each year. We usually buy new shoes and a whatever else is needed and I try to keep it around $100 for my high school student.
For years I mainly shopped at Staples since they had the best prices but I’ve gone to shopping throughout the year when I find deals like a special calculator this year and timers to stay on track (good prices at Amazon). I even found better prices at Target this year for paper products so trying to squeeze more value out of money like most! Things like shoes and backpacks are purchased as they go on sale. I just make sure I check my stash so I don’t overbuy but I don’t buy many extras so don’t have a set budget and it’s less painful since it’s yearlong as things so on sale.