As the school bells ring, so do the cash registers.

Answer: Families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $874.68 on clothing, shoes, school supplies and electronics.

Questions:

• How might the average spending differ across different regions or income levels?
• How can families budget effectively to manage back-to-school expenses?
• How might the rise of online shopping affect the amount families spend on back-to-school items?

Here are the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (National Retail Federation):

"Families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $874.68 on clothing, shoes, school supplies and electronics. This is approximately $15 less than last year’s record of $890.07 but is the second-highest amount in the survey’s history. Total back-to-school spending is expected to reach $38.8 billion, also the second-highest figure on record, after last year’s high of $41.5 billion."

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Want to access more Budgeting-focused activities and resources? Check out the Budgeting unit page.

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About the Author

Dave Martin

Dave joins NGPF with 15 years of teaching experience in math and computer science. After joining the New York City Teaching Fellows program and earning a Master's degree in Education from Pace University, his teaching career has taken him to New York, New Jersey and a summer in the north of Ghana. Dave firmly believes that financial literacy is vital to creating well-rounded students that are prepared for a complex and highly competitive world. During what free time two young daughters will allow, Dave enjoys video games, Dungeons & Dragons, cooking, gardening, and taking naps.