Date Published: August 2026
There is something about the start of a new school year that always feels like a fresh beginning. New teachers, new classrooms, freshly sharpened pencils and, of course, the annual trip to stock up on everything from notebooks and backpacks to shoes and lunch boxes. But this year, that familiar back-to-school tradition is coming with a noticeably bigger price tag.
For many families, the surprise isn’t necessarily what is on the school-supply list. It’s how much the basics cost once everything makes it into the shopping cart. According to 2026 research, back-to-school shoppers expect to spend an average of $611 on expenses such as clothing, school supplies and books. At the same time, other industry research shows just how focused families have become on rising prices: 78% of back-to-school shoppers expect higher prices this season.
When the Little Things Add Up
A few dollars more for notebooks or pencils may not sound significant on its own. Multiply those increases across folders, paper, markers, backpacks, lunch boxes, clothing and shoes — and then multiply the entire list by two or three children — and the impact becomes much easier to feel.
Recent estimates put a basket of 21 essential school supplies at roughly 7.7% more than last year, illustrating why parents can walk into a store for “a few school supplies” and walk out wondering how the total climbed so quickly. And school supplies are only part of the equation.
Families are also buying new clothes and shoes, paying activity and sports fees, replacing outgrown equipment and preparing for the return of packed lunches and after-school activities. For older students, technology can add another significant expense. Back-to-school season has quietly become a major household spending event.
Parents Are Becoming Strategic Shoppers
Families aren’t simply accepting higher prices. They’re changing how they shop.
Parents are comparison shopping, reusing supplies from last year, choosing store brands and discount retailers, and timing purchases around summer promotions. Many are also spreading their shopping across several weeks rather than purchasing everything in one expensive trip.
In fact, inflation remains a major concern for families heading into the 2026 school year. Research from JLL found that 64% of parents say inflation will affect their back-to-school shopping, while parents increasingly prioritize necessities over discretionary purchases.
That means the trendy backpack or upgraded electronics may have to wait while pencils, shoes and required classroom supplies take priority.
It’s Part of a Bigger Household Budget Story
Back-to-school sticker shock is also a reminder that families don’t experience inflation one statistic at a time. A household budget absorbs everything together.
Higher grocery bills, insurance premiums, utilities, housing costs, childcare and everyday expenses all compete for the same paycheck. Then August arrives, bringing a school list and another round of expenses that can’t simply be postponed indefinitely.
For families with several children, those costs can become particularly noticeable.
It’s also why consumers can appear financially cautious even when broader economic numbers suggest conditions are improving. Families make financial decisions based on what is happening at their own kitchen tables — and sometimes a cart filled with notebooks, sneakers and lunch boxes says more about consumer sentiment than an economic report ever could.
Back to School, Back to Routine
There is another side to this time of year that those of us in the mortgage and recruiting industries know well.
Summer can be difficult for business development and recruiting. People are traveling, taking family vacations, juggling camps and childcare, and generally spending less time thinking about career moves or major financial decisions. Then the backpacks come out.
School starts, vacations wind down and families return to their routines. Calendars become more predictable. Professionals who were nearly impossible to reach in July suddenly start answering their phones again.
For mortgage professionals, back-to-school season can represent a reset for business, too.
It’s a good time to reconnect with referral partners, follow up with prospective clients, revisit conversations that went quiet over the summer and reengage candidates who weren’t ready to talk while they were sitting poolside or packing for vacation.
A New School Year and a Fresh Start
Parents may not be thrilled about paying more for pencils, backpacks and new shoes, but there is still something exciting about the beginning of a school year.
It’s a season built around fresh starts.
Kids get new classrooms and new opportunities. Families settle back into familiar routines. And for professionals, August and September can provide a natural opportunity to refocus on the final stretch of the year.
So after the school-supply lists are checked off, the lunches are packed and everyone finally remembers what time they need to leave the house in the morning, maybe there’s another list worth pulling out:
What do you want to accomplish before the end of 2026?
Because if the kids can start fresh with a new school year, the rest of us can, too.
By Mary Newberry
