Families Set to Spend $700 on School Supplies

The National Retail Foundation says $688 is the average amount a family will pay for school supplies for every student between kindergarten and 12th grade.

Families with children in kindergarten through senior year of high school are set to spend nearly $700 on school supplies this year. The National Retail Foundation's annual report on back-to-school spending says $688 is expected to be the average per-student spend for the 2012-13 school year. And, more than in years past, parents are turning to the Internet, catalogs and department stores to find the items their children need. One interesting tidbit: Online shoppers are increasing, with nearly 40 percent of parents saying they'll click to fill supply lists, but online shoppers are also expected to spend more than those who will shop in brick-and-mortar stores.  Where will you be shopping for your family's school supplies? Tell us in the …

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The Family Forum

Back-to-School Time Is Here Already

Back-to-school sales have begun; retailers project less traffic but greater spending.

Back-to-school shopping has begun and the sales are endless. All the local stores are now set up to handle the back-to-school rush. Backpacks for 99 cents after rebates at Menards, 17-cent folders of every color at Walmart, 50-cent pencil boxes and 99-cent notebooks at Target, and a free lunch tote with backpack purchase at Toys R Us. Then there's K-mart, Walgreens and the Dollar Store and Dollar General, all with specials on school supplies. Back to school time is a multi-million dollar industry for many retailers. Every Wednesday and Sunday newspaper is filled with insert ads for back-to-school clothes, school supplies, shoes and backpacks. Everything you could possibly need to be the coolest and most up-to-date person in class. On one …

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