Parents frequently face multiple concurrent expenses for back-to-school, including new computers, clothing, shoes, tuition and preschool fees, making it a major annual household cost. Cumulative price increases and newly imposed tariffs have amplified those costs. Educational books and materials were 9.4% more expensive in May year-over-year, while the headline inflation rate of 2.7% in July masked larger increases in specific school-related categories. Shoes rose slightly, girls' clothing fell 1.9%, boys' clothing rose 1.9%, and preschool/kindergarten fees increased 5.7%. Sixty-seven percent of families planned ahead and many bought supplies earlier amid cost concerns.
One of the emails that parents dread most during summer months is the list of school supplies that will be required for their children's classes. Sometimes, it coincides with having to buy a new computer, clothes and shoes, in addition to tuition payments and monthly preschool fees. All this makes back-to-school the second-largest annual expense for families. The annual ritual is further complicated this year by a combination of cumulative price increases over the last few years and expected price hikes due to tariffs.
Statistics from the BLS show that, although shoes are not much more expensive than last year (0.2%) and girls' clothes has gone down in price by 1.9%, the cost of boys' clothes has risen by the same percentage. At the same time, people with children in preschool or kindergarten are facing 5.7% higher matriculation and school fees. Fearing larger price increases in the short term, more families than ever, at 67%, planned ahead for these expenses in July,
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