MISSOULA - Parents and guardians have to plan for their kids to return to school.
According to RetailMeNot, the top three categories for back-to-school shopping are electronics, clothes and school supplies. The average cost of back-to-school supplies is a little over $1,000 and with 80% of people planning on shopping for one-to-two kids, the final price can add up quickly.
MTN News talked with one Missoula mom to learn how she managed her back-to-school shopping. For mother of three, Chrissy Davis, back-to-school shopping meant planning ahead and starting early.
“So, my usual plan is to go as soon as I start to see school supplies, like in the special section of the stores,” Davis said. “And I feel like the only thing I get overwhelmed about is knowing that they're going to run out of certain things at the store."
Davis isn’t alone in spending around $100 on supplies per child with ReatilMeNot’s most recent data showing that parents spend nearly $200 on school supplies — like pens and paper — alone.
There are also those back-to-school clothes to buy.
“And then clothes. We don't...do a whole...new wardrobe. We're like budget for what they've grown out of from the like your prior,” Davis said.
Although she has three kids to buy supplies for, Davis is also going back to school herself, which adds an extra person to budget for.
“For when we're budgeting...we're....budgeting based off of getting to rent something so that we can return it and save a ton of money," Davis concluded.
Watch the full MTN News back-to-school special below.
