School supplies not immune to inflation, how to save on back-to-school shopping

CHILLICOTHE— Walking down the vibrant back-to-school aisle of the grocery store, it is clear why children get excited about choosing their school supplies. Seeing the prices, it is clear why parents dread this time of year.

Inflation has affected gas and grocery prices this year, and school supplies are not immune to price increases. 

According to the National Retail Federation, families plan to spend $864 on average for back-to-school shopping this year with the largest expenses being electronics, clothing and shoes. Five years ago, families planned to spend almost $200 less.

For school supplies, families are expected to pay about $168 per child, whereas five years ago the average cost was about $114. 

Traci Harris is the coordinator for Project School Tools, an organization that helps provide children with school supplies. She said some school items have become slightly cheaper, while other supplies, like book bags and binders, have skyrocketed.

"The school supply list is getting way more exhaustive. Right now you have inflation and everything. Food prices are higher and gas is higher... they've got school fees, they've got sports fees," Harris said. "It's hard enough with one child, so if you have two or three children or four children, that really adds up."

Compared to 2019, Harris said supply costs for Project School Tools have gone up 30%. She said the biggest increase has been for students in grades seven and up, whereas grades four through six went up by 16% and grades kindergarten through third grade went up by 18%.

Going Supply Shopping

To see for myself how much school supplies cost, I went mock shopping for supplies. School supply lists are different for every year and grade, so I will be using a list given to fourth-graders at a local school district.

The list has the basics with nothing out of the ordinary: pencils, glue, scissors, etc. I'm not just shopping for school supplies, but also grabbing requested classroom essentials like plastic bags, tissues and paper towels.

The list has 20 different items, some of which I already have at home like a pencil bag, erasers and highlighters. The list does exclude some items I would need, like a book bag. 

The supply list asked for five notebooks in red, green, blue, yellow and purple. The store I went to offered 35-cent notebooks, but only had four of the five colors available. I could've driven to a different store in search of a cheaper purple notebook, but I decided to pick up a more expensive $1.44 notebook instead.

I bought the most basic items, overlooking the more expensive glitter pencil bags and mechanical pencils. In total, I spent $61.52 on my school supplies haul. 

My biggest expense was the $18.96 book bag, which was cheap compared to the colorful ones covered in TV show characters. Even as an adult, I am tempted to purchase the Animal Crossing-themed pencil bag that costs 10 times as much.

I bought everything new, so I could've saved a lot of money by using leftover supplies. If I only bought the items I didn't already own, I would have saved $22.99 and only spent $38.53.

Shopping as a fourth grader, I didn't have to deal with the heavy expenses of electronics, especially the graphing calculators that many high schoolers need that can cost almost $150. 

Overall, there were cheap options for many basic items like pencils, crayons and notebooks. Many of the supplies on the schools' list are things I already had laying around at home, like scissors and a box of tissues. However, even shopping for only one child, the cost of the items quickly piled up.

Saving Money

Ohio's tax-free weekend is Aug. 5 through 7 where clothing less than $75 and school supplies that cost less than $20 are exempt from sales and use tax. Stores tend to be busy during this time with long lines and empty shelves, so plan to go during low-traffic times.

Don't do all your shopping at one store. Dollar Tree has binders for $1.25, but Walmart has notebooks for 35 cents. Look online for details first before setting out for a particular store.

Harris recommends waiting three to four weeks after school starts and then looking at deals on school supplies. If it's too late for your student to use them, the supplies can be saved for next year.

Adena Local Schools will be holding a school supply giveaway for Adena students grades kindergarten through 4th grade on Aug. 2 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Main Street Frankfort in front of the village offices. 

Project School Tools annual Back to School Bash will take place on Aug. 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mt. Logan Community Center. Parents are asked to bring identification, verification of children in the household and proof of need. For more information, email ProjectSchoolToolsofRossCounty@gmail.com.

Megan Becker is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. Call her at 740-349-1106, email her at mbecker@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @BeckerReporting.