Parents Struggling With Inflation: “I left my kid a $25 backpack at home. Said Sarah Longmore

Sarah Longmore was shopping after school started when the mother of five found a $25 backpack for her preschooler. High inflation put a strain on the household budget, so I decided that my daughter could do it with her own hands. He put the backpack back. Like Longmore, many parents find that their money isn't what it was before school, regardless of income. Inflation is at levels not seen in decades, and prices for food, gas, household goods, and everything else needed to run a home have risen. According to Morning Consult's annual school opening report, 36% of parents say they will get everything their child needs this school year. That's down sharply from 52% in 2021, when inflation was lower and stimulus packages and child tax credits helped some families. "My shopping habits have changed dramatically," says Longmore, a human resources professional who lives in the Poconos, Pennsylvania, with her husband and five children.

The Longmores make more than $100,000 a year, well above the median American household income of $65,000. But the cost is also higher than average for a family with five young children, Longmore said, not enough to keep the family comfortable. This is a particularly salient issue during the school season, as the couple's four children attend school. . age.

Not everyone gets something new and not everyone gets everything,” Longmore said. For example, a 12-year-old boy chose new clothes over a new backpack and office supplies. Young children inherit backpacks and desks from siblings who are still alive. Other families may make similar decisions.

Consulting firm Deloitte and the National Retail Federation estimate that parents will spend about $661-$864 on K-12 school supplies in the 2022-2023 school year. Not everyone can get something new and not everyone can get everything,” Longmore said. For example, a 12-year-old boy opted for new clothes instead of a new backpack and stationery. Young children inherit backpacks and desks from siblings who are still alive.

Other families may make similar decisions. According to estimates by consulting firm Deloitte and the National Retail Federation, parents are expected to spend about $661-$864 on K-12 school supplies in the 2022-2023 school year.

Molly Schmidts, a mother of four from Wisconsin, says she regularly recycles last year's supplies like Longmore. Invest in Lands' End backpacks backed by a lifetime warranty and plan your purchase carefully. "We started with dollar stores, followed by Walmart and Target, but we also increased the price to $1.25 at the dollar stores," she said, adding that she buys a lot of supplies for her three school-age children with less than 50 dollars. . . Longmore did more shopping at Walmart and Target, especially discounted children's clothing and shoes. But her credit card debt "doesn't look good right now," she said. He is hardly alone.

Claire Tassin, retail and e-commerce consultant, said: "It worries me that Morning Consult conducts a weekly consumer survey and a growing number of parents feel they can't afford all their school supplies this year." . Analyst Market Data Intelligence Agency. Single parent families or single parents can be particularly stressful.

Gwen Corrigan, of Maine, said her daughter, a single mother, shopped for clothes and shoes and bought food for lunch. But when Corrigan asked her about school supplies, "It was clear that my daughter didn't consider it in her budget," she wrote in an email to CNN Business.

Corrigan says she's willing to help her hard-working daughter, and has purchased $140 worth of supplies for her granddaughter. But I worry about the students who don't have grandparents to help them.

Teachers, as well as parents, are interested in preparing lessons for the new school year at the appropriate level. Many people spend their money on necessities, and people in low-income areas often buy necessities for their students.

Cynthia Angell, a teacher in Tracy, California, can't financially support a classroom made up of mostly low-income students. "For the past several years, we have provided school supplies to students," Angel told CNN Business in an email. "I won't be able to do that this year." She hopes families with resources will donate supplies to the class, but “I expect there will be limits to how much parents can help.

“So do we limit what we do for justice or ask for help or give up our own needs to help our students? - said the angel. "I guess the answer is yes to all three."

Longmore, the mother in the Poconos, is trying to see the silver lining of scrimping and sacrificing: "I think it will build character and teach my children to reduce waste and stay on a budget."