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."

--------------

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

--------------

Attend NGPF Professional Developments and earn Academy Credits on your own time! Check out NGPF On-Demand modules!

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.

More posts by Dave