One mom spent $2,000 on her kindergartner's back to school haul — that's not actually so far above average

Many commenters were shocked by the total, questioning how it could be so high and even why she chose to spend on certain items.

One person wrote: ”Why are you re-buying lunchboxes? My kids are on year three of their Bentgos,” referring to a lunchbox brand. To which TJ replied, “Everyone is different. We rebuy everything each school year.”

Someone else simply wrote, “Dang this is excessive.”

TJ stood her ground, citing private school uniforms as a large portion of the cost. As per a reply comment she left on the video, the uniforms alone cost $900. Supportive commenters agreed that private school uniforms are pricey, and that even prepping kids for public school costs a lot theseb days.

What Americans are actually spending for back-to-school

It’s likely not every American is dropping nearly $200 on a custom Pottery Barn backpack set for their kids, but the cost is pretty steep even for the basics.

According to a recent Good Morning America/Ipsos poll, people expect to spend an average of $885 per child in total across all back-to-school shopping categories this year, with over two-thirds of parents of K to 12 students saying they’ve noticed back-to-school items are more expensive this year than last.

Parents expecting to pay more aren’t imagining things. Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation conducted an analysis of the 21 most common school supply items and found that the price of a typical school supply shopping list has increased 7.7% since last year.

Total spending on school supplies is expected to reach a record $43.3 billion this year in the U.S., up from $39.4 billion in 2025 according to the National Retail Federation.

Making life work amid rising prices

Despite high expected costs, many school supplies are necessary for students to be prepared for the year ahead. That being said, by being specific about the supplies you buy and seeking out deals, you might be able to save money and avoid doling out $2,000 this year.

Here are a few things you can do to cut costs:

• Perhaps this is the most obvious, but opting for public instead of private school will save you money on uniforms and tuition fees.
• Go through the supplies leftover from the previous school year and see what is salvageable. A beat-up pair of running shoes may be worth replacing, but a lunchbox can be used again.
• Look for supplies (especially back-to-school clothes) at thrift stores or resale platforms. Sometimes people may even offer free things that their kids don’t need anymore in your neighborhood’s “buy nothing” Facebook group.