Back to School Supplies Average $95 Nationally

The back to school supply lists keep getting longer—with more and more strange requests. Parents may remember their own back to school supplies, tucked neatly in their backpack: a box of crayons, a 3-ring binder filled with loose leaf paper, a ruler, a couple pencils.

If you were lucky, mom got you the big box of 128 crayons and the deluxe Trapper Keeper. These days, students are loaded down with several grocery sacks of supplies, often filled with requests for enough pencils, tissues, plastic bags and glue sticks to outfit the entire classroom.

The National Retail Federation’s recent survey on back to school spending estimates that parents will, on average, shell out $688.62 to get kids from kindergarten to high school ready for school, up from $603.63 last year. This price tag includes new clothes, shoes and electronics.

The price for just school supplies—nationally—is estimated at $95.44. This doesn’t include the cost of a new lunch box, which will add $5.92 for an action hero or princess themed box. Parent’s may also find themselves buying extra supplies for a homework station, unless they have leftover school supplies from last year.

What out-of-the-ordinary supplies are on your child's list this year? How much are you spending on school supplies and do you think it's getting too expensive? Where do you shop to save a couple extra bucks?

Let us know in the comment section below.