BALTIMORE – Back-to-school shopping can be stressful even under ordinary circumstances.
But add record-high inflation to the mix, and it’s easy to understand why parents are that much more stressed as they prepare for students to return to school.
That’s why budgeting is the name of the game this year as families cope with rising prices.
Stan Belle, whose children are entering kindergarten and 9th grade, was stocking up at the Walmart in Dundalk. He said his family has made adjustments.
In some cases, he said, that means recycling school supplies to stretch his resources.
“We’re able to carry that over, extra stuff we bought,” Belle said. “So that definitely does help out in the long run.”
Cheran Behn noticed that her 3rd grade student’s list is even longer than usual this year.
“So, I’ve definitely noticed that teachers will ask, ‘Can you bring in the hand wipes, the Chlorox wipes?’ Behn told WJZ. “And then two, as they get older, they have these electronics.”
While inflation is making just about everything on your shopping list more expensive, Walmart said its prices on school supplies won’t break the bank. Local parents seem to agree.
“I am a serial shopper,” Behn said. “I go to different stores for different sales or different things.”
Behn said she gets most of her shopping done at Walmart because of the prices.
“You get better deals here and you get better quality product,” she said.
With more parents shopping online these days, the chain has made-made shopping carts on its website and app, which include the supplies for each grade at local schools.
Kathy Duncan is the designated shopper for her grandchildren this year, and she has found that feature helpful with her back-to-school shopping.
“It looks to me like they gave you the best items price wise, so if you wanted to shop according to this, you are going to get the best price of everything on here,” Duncan said.
Another way to snag some savings is to keep an eye out for the red discounted tags.
Markdowns include Texas Instrument graphing calculators, down to $119 from $149, and crayons, which have been discounted from $1.44 to $0.50.
Because it’s also Tax-Free Week in Maryland, families can save even more. You won’t pay any taxes on shoes or a piece of clothing under $100 and the first $40 on backpacks is tax free.