SAN ANTONIO- Back to school means back to the store for many families in San Antonio. Prices are still high because of inflation, and parents like Theresa Chen are expecting to spend more on classroom supplies.
“Amazon, Walmart, but of course it gets very costly so I’m nickeling and dimeing everything,” said Chen.
The average school supply spending has changed over the past three years. In 2022, households spent an average of $860 on back-to-school supplies. In 2023, that number jumped to $890. This year it dropped slightly to $875, but for most people, that’s still a lot.
Some people might consider relying on credit cards for large expenses, but one expert says that it might hurt you in the long run.
“You know it’s good intentions you know I’m going to pay it off but life happens then you end up with this monthly bill and it catches up to you and it catches up to you in Christmas and then eventually you say my tax refund is going to work it all out and then when it doesn’t work out the way you want you’re in trouble,” Darryl Lyons, Founder/CEO Pax Financial Group
Coupon expert Brenda Anz says you don’t have to put your Christmas in jeopardy for back-to-school shopping, as long as you buy at the right time at the right sales.
“Now is the time to shop because you have 50 to 75% off getting an amazing deal and on top of that you’re getting more savings by using their paper or their digital coupon.”
If you would like to learn more about how you can save throughout the year, Anz offers classes teaching people how to be a savvy shopper. You can find the information here.