Tag: back to school shopping

When Leticia Barr is ready to start back-to-school shopping, her first stop is going to be her own closets.

A former teacher turned blogger, Barr knows that her family probably has on hand much of what they need already—from last year's binders that are still good to stashes of pencil-top erasers. With her daughter about to start seventh grade and a son going into fifth in Washington, DC, Barr's goal is to keep a lid on spending by focusing only on what they do not already have.

The average family with kids in grades K-12 is forecast to spend an average of $673.57 this year, according to the National Retail Federation, much of that going toward clothing and electronics.