BOSTON — Some families are getting frugal to save on back-to-school shopping expenses, and for good reason.
The average Boston-area parent plans to spend about $688 per child on back-to-school shopping this year, about $100 more than other parts of the Northeast and 14 percent higher than the national average, according to a Deloitte survey.
“Convenience and value are what we’re seeing,” said Deloitte’s Anthony Jardim, noting that parents are prioritizing ease and cost over brand loyalty. “If parents can do their back-to-school shopping in one place, the mall or one place with the right stores, they’re going to do it.”
Some parents might even get a little help saving from their kids: Teens and young adults are increasingly turning to thrift stores to find unique, vintage back-to-school clothes that are popular with their peers and can be purchased for a fraction of the price of many of the brands they would buy new.
Oli Huang, a high school senior, visits the Quincy Goodwill every few weeks because the inventory changes frequently.
“You can find anything here,” she said, noting that her cousin recently found a pair of Prada pants.
College student Natalie McDonald told Boston 25 News she likes helping to reduce the amount of trash that ends up in landfills.
“I think it’s definitely starting to catch on with younger people,” McDonald says. “I think saving money and shopping sustainably is a really great thing.”
The savings add up quickly: Huang estimates he saves an average of $300 on most visits compared to buying new.
“You can save up to 80% or 90%,” says Emerald Gottwald, Goodwill’s senior director of stores, “and it really depends on what you’re looking for.”
“Around 34 percent of parents surveyed said they would consider buying second-hand,” Jardim said, adding that some parents are using sites like Facebook Marketplace to sell their used items.
“Companies can use this as a way to get rid of some of last year’s goods and raise funds to increase discretionary spending,” Jardim said.
These additional funds could help ease the burden of one of the biggest back-to-school expenses: technology. Boston-area parents are expected to spend about $500 on back-to-school technology this year, their biggest expense yet.
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