Which school supplies cost more and which cost less? A guide to saving on back-to-school purchases

By Jay L. Zagorsky -

As the end of summer draws near, it's time to think about back-to-school shopping: notebooks, backpacks, new clothes.

As an economist who has studied prices for years, I wondered how rising inflation has affected the costs of school products.

Prices for consumer items

according to the latest data released on August 10, 2022. But this figure is an average.

The cost of some items, such as airfares and gasoline, has risen, while the cost of televisions and telephones has fallen.

To determine how the value of what children need in school has changed, I tracked two sets of prices: first, back-to-school necessities and second, school lunches, since learning with the empty belly is difficult.

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Clothing

The children seem to grow up during the summer holidays.

This means that they need new clothes for the fall.

The Government has followed the price of children's clothing since 1977, through the consumer price index.

Official data shows that the value of boys' clothing peaked in 1998. Girls' clothing peaked in 1992. Not only is it cheaper than it was in the 1990s, but in the last 12 months

, compared to a general inflation of 8.5%.

The cost of children's clothing rose almost 5% last year.

Shoes

Back to school also means new shoes.

The average cost of shoes for boys and girls has been rising steadily since 1977.

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Materials

As for school supplies, inflation has been uneven.

The value of notebooks and paper has shot up 11%.

The Consumer Price Index does not record pencils, markers and crayons, but the Manufacturer Price Index shows that retailers are paying 11% more than last year for pencils and markers, while art supplies are up almost 18%.

Backpacks

The value of backpacks increased at a slower rate, with an increase of almost 4% in July 2022, compared to the previous 12 months.

computers

And if your kids need a new computer or tablet, they're in luck.

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With careful shopping, even families on a tight budget can find what they need at an affordable price. Sollina Images / Getty Images/Tetra images RF

By bringing these products together in an index, it is seen that the cost of going back to school will not suffer as much as parents fear.

My budget was up 5.1% in July from 2021.

It also shows that

This is small consolation for parents who had no children in school 10 years ago and shows that the value of items does not always increase.

Lunch in the school

Pre-pandemic data suggests that about two-thirds of students bought lunch at school.

Information on consumer prices shows that the cost of food in urban primary and secondary school cafeterias fell by 43% in May 2022, compared to the previous year.

In fact, it's almost the lowest number since the index began tracking this data in 2005, mainly because free lunch was available at times during the pandemic.

That program is now over, though some states are stepping in. The cost of food is likely to rise next year in most school districts.

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home made lunch

For those families who prefer to prepare their children's school lunches,

The median price of food to cook at home rose 13.1% in July from a year earlier, the fastest rate of inflation since 1979.

But since this may not reflect the true cost of the food in a child's lunchbox, I did my own calculation based on what my mother packed for me when I was a child: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which are still a staple today. except for my children.

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My lunch box used to include a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on white bread, apple slices, some carrots, a bag of chips, 8 ounces of milk, and a chocolate chip cookie (to make me happy).

Using the Department of Agriculture's school lunch buying guide, I found servings that would provide about 666 calories, slightly more than the government's recommendation.

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This was mainly due to the jump in the price of bread, peanut butter, milk and potato chips, which increased more than 14%.

Demanding purchases

Although most prices have risen more than usual, bargains can still be found, such as on children's clothing and electronic equipment.

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Or in the lunch box example, you could add more apples, whose price has gone up only 5%.

That would not only lighten your wallet, but also improve your children's nutrition.

The value of most products may be higher than a year ago, but it's important to remember that

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With careful shopping, even families on a tight budget can find what they need at an affordable price.

Jay L. Zagorsky is Senior Professor of Markets, Public Policy, and Law at Boston University's Questrom School of Business.

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