Uncovering Hidden Back-to-School Costs can help Save your Family Budget

Back-to-school shopping can be one of the family’s biggest retail expenditures every year, outside of Halloween and Christmas, especially when kids are heading off to college. Money is often set aside for the published school list of pencils, folders, notebooks, highlighters and such; but rarely do parents count the total cost of expenditures in terms of books, student fees, electronics, clothing, communications, food/beverages/meals, housing, transportation and more. Last year $75.8 Billion was spent on school and college costs!
Sixty-five percent of back-to-school shoppers begin more than a month before school starts. Clothing, electronic and supplies are in high demand the final weeks before classes begin. This can leave parents asking, "Where exactly does all of that money go? Has it always been like this? And where can I find some relief in my wallet?" These questions are answered by the data crunchers at http://www.moneychoice.org/school-budget/ along with some basic back-to-school budgeting tips:

• Look for tax free weekends
• Use student Discounts
• Buy Digital Books
• Give your kids some say
• Team up with neighbors to buy in bulk