While millions of parents went into the summer looking forward to making up for lost time with their kids, it appears they’re now more than ready to get their kids back to school.
According to a new survey, 37% of parents have already started their shopping for school supplies and other items like clothing and shoes for September. In fact, 51% estimate they’ll be done with their shopping by August.
The non-scientific poll of 2,000 Americans that was commissioned by Affirm reports parents are spending an average of $843 on each child — up by 19% from the $707 spent on average last year. Seventy percent said they were spending the bulk on new clothes for school, while 43% said they’re spending more on school supplies, and 39% on backpacks.
The poll also noted that parents are spending on average 68 minutes shopping around for the best deal, and 39% said they would be shopping in person in 2021, compared to 35% last year.
Four in ten said they were shopping both online and in person, with 50% agreeing online shopping offers more variety.
Another interesting find, which shows parents’ state of mind after a mostly normal summer: 65% of parents are doing some “back to school shopping” for themselves. Sixty-five percent said they’ll be splurging on new clothes for themselves, with 58% saying they’ll buy new shoes, and 33% will spend on self-care items.
Seventeen percent of parents say their own “back to school” shopping list includes a bottle of wine — and nearly half of the parents surveyed said they plan to celebrate when the little ones get back to class. In fact, 22% say they’re planning to take a vacation without their kids when school starts.