CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — According to the National Retail Federation, 67% of parents have started back-to-school shopping, but many still haven’t finished due to concerns about inflation.
"Not only is it back to school, it's back to clothes shopping too, so she's bigger, grown out of her clothes, shoes, everything, socks, even," Lynzi Anno, a parent, said.
For many families, the financial strain is more pronounced this year, with 72% of consumers expecting higher prices during back-to-school shopping, per the NFR.
"The high level of uncertainty with inflation and tariffs causes a problem in planning. So it's difficult here to advise to buy early or to buy later," Dr. Jason Heavilin, finance professor at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, said.
Parents are turning to various financing options to manage these expenses.
"We have a credit card for Kohl's, so that's one thing that we wanted to find which was either getting something like a JC Penney's card or a Dillard's card or finding a store that we can have a card for, so we just go use it and then we start paying it back," Anno said.
Another parent, Caroline Martinez, has found similar strategies helpful for her family's budget.
"The offers that like Chase and City cards and things like that offer that sometimes is helpful because they do a cash back type of offer," Martinez said.
Professor Heavilin recommends that consumers focus on purchasing only what their children need and avoid maxing out credit cards. He also suggests taking time to research sales to maximize available funds.
For those who haven't completed their shopping, the state's annual sales tax holiday begins this August 8th, 2025, offering additional savings opportunities.
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