There's just a few days left to snag some Marketplace swag at a discount when you... Donate Today! 🎁
Pexels

Back-to-school budgets: How much are you spending?

Marketplace Staff Jul 31, 2018
Pexels

Welcome to August, which means summer is almost over and it’s time to go back to school.

If you’re a parent, a teacher or a college student at any level, getting ready for school means spending money. This is good news for retailers. Back-to-school is the second-biggest shopping season of the year. According to an annual survey from Deloitte, across the U.S. we’re expected to spend around $27.6 billion this year stocking up on everything from pens and paper to books and backpacks. That’s an average of $510 per household, up slightly from 2017.

With all of this in mind, Marketplace is planning a series of stories on the back-to-school economy and we want to hear from you.

What kind of bills do you rack up as you prepare for the return to class? Whether you have children in elementary school, kids struggling through those gruesome high school years, or you’re a student going to college or graduate school, what are you spending your money on? How are you keeping costs down? If you educate your children at home, does this alter your back-to-school expenses? And teachers, how do you budget for back-to-school season, and what are you expected to provide?

Share your experiences by filling out the form below. One of our reporters may be in touch.












There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.