FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio — The lists are long, and the funds are short for many families. I found a few ways parents can stretch that back-to-school budget.
We may be smack-dab in the middle of summer, but I've learned more than half of consumers who need to stock up on supplies for a new school year started shopping weeks ago.
The National Retail Federation says while 55% of consumers say they have picked up some things, the majority, 86%, still have at least half of their purchases to complete, with about 50% of those shoppers saying they are waiting for the best deals.
I can speak from experience, having two children in elementary school.
The worst thing you can do as a parent is waste precious time traveling from store to store searching for back-to-school bargains.
So, I did some homework to help you figure out some of the best places to pick up those pencils, glue sticks and crayons.
Our savings journey began in a freshly stocked school supply section at Target in Fairview Park, which sparked emotions for some parents and their children.
"We get depressed when we see the school supplies out when it's only July. It's like, oh, my gosh, it's almost over," said Jaclyn Torres.
Torres is trying her best to hold on to summer, as she does some browsing, not buying, with her daughter, River.
"I normally wait until like a couple of weeks before school just to see because there's back to school sales. We're not in a rush to go back to school," said Torres.
Avon Lake mom, Leah Murphy didn’t wait to fill up her cart alongside her daughter, Hadley.
"We're not used to this. We're usually last-minute shoppers," said Murphy.
I found whether you are waiting for deals like Torres or are starting now like Murphy, major retailers have rolled out savings on supplies.
It's not just binders and backpacks.
The National Retail Federation found that families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $875 on clothing, shoes, school supplies, and electronics.
This is approximately $15 less than last year’s record but is the second-highest amount in the survey’s history.
To help ease the pain of that eye-popping stat, for the first time, you can pick up 20 "must-have" school supplies like colored pencils, glue and notebooks at Target for less than $20.
The retailer is also offering a new backpack for just $5.
Staples touts its prices won't be beat with its price match guarantee.
It's selling a $.35 notebook, $.50 crayons and a pack of Bic pens for $1.29.
With 80% of customers like Murphy expecting to spend more on back-to-school, Walmart offers many essentials at the same prices as last year.
Savings can be found on composition notebooks and crayons for $.50 and plastic pencil boxes for $.97.
While Murphy told me she expects to spend around $1,000 this year, Torres expects to spend about the same.
As for why Torres likely won't see a spike in costs, she takes an inventory of what her little learners came home with at the start of summer break.
"We have a lot left over at the end of the school year that they barely use like notebooks that are only five pages used. So, we reuse those, like glue sticks, markers, whatever is still in good shape. We kind of save and use for the next year," said Torres.
If you are looking for good deals on back-to-school clothing, you might want to wait until the Labor Day sales rollout.
You'll find some good deals and fall styles at a discount.
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