я (1)How families can save money this back-to-school season
By
Gordon Ebanks
14 hr ago
American families expect to spend an average of $570 on back-to-school shopping this year, according to a recent Deloitte survey.
American families expect to spend an average of $570 on back-to-school shopping this year, according to a recent Deloitte survey. John G Mabanglo/EPA/Shutterstock
With back-to-school season in full swing, families across the country are continuing to feel the sting of high prices.
In May and June, before the latest round of the Trump administration’s tariffs, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimated that tariffs on back-to-school items had risen to 18% (up from 5% a year earlier). A new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that prices of educational books and supplies increased 9.4% from May 2024 to May 2025.
As costs pile up, over half of parents are planning to cut back on necessities to pay for school-related shopping, and 44% are planning to take on debt, according to a Credit Karma consumer survey. American families expect to spend an average of $570 per student on back-to-school shopping this year, according to a Deloitte survey released in July, and price pressures are pushing consumers to look for savings wherever possible.
Track when (or if) your state has a back-to-school tax holiday
Seventeen states have or had sales tax holidays in summer 2025. Each of those states has different policies on which items are included in the tax holiday, and the holidays are spread out, so it’s important to pay close attention to when your state’s holiday is, if it has one.
These purchases don’t have to be in-store either — Amazon and other online retailers won’t charge taxes on eligible deliveries to states with these holidays on the books.
Get library cards for the whole family
Libraries are a great way to save money not only on physical books, but also e-books, audiobooks and movies. Some public libraries also offer printing services, discounts for local attractions and cost-free tutoring services that can be used year-round.
Shop local
Deloitte found that over 2 in 3 shoppers will be looking to online retailers to do at least part of their back-to-school shopping.