Both social media and inflation are pushing parents to their financial limits
Students are posting videos of back-to-school hauls worth thousands of dollars in clothes, backpacks and school supplies ahead of the 2026 school year.
When a lifestyle and travel influencer posted a TikTok "haul" video - a social-media staple where creators show off recent shopping sprees - the comment section exploded over the fact that she spent $2,000 on back-to-school items for her kindergartener.
Viewers were shocked by the price tag for a 5-year-old, accusing the post of promoting excessive consumerism. "Definitely too much $$$ on a child that age," one commenter wrote. But for the mom, who goes by "TJ" online to conceal her identity, the reality was more complicated.
About $1,200 of her total went toward uniforms for her daughter's private school, where single shirts and jackets from designated vendors can cost $50 to $70 each. Another $280 went toward custom-embroidered Pottery Barn $(WSM)$ gear to meet school labeling guidelines. The haul also included gifts for her daughter's teachers.
While TJ acknowledges her family is fortunate enough to afford it, she says the sticker shock from inflation is real - and it's changing how she shops for everyday essentials.
"We're just having it hard as parents because everything is going up," TJ told MarketWatch - noting that she now opts for wholesale clubs like Costco $(COST)$ over grocery stores to offset elevated food prices, and even bought a deep freezer to store bulk meat. "You go to the grocery store and get five items for $100. That's not sustainable for a lot of people."
TJ's experience highlights a dual pressure hitting parents this season: persistent inflation compounded by trend culture on social media, where students - mostly in high school and college - are posting videos of their back-to-school hauls that, in some cases, total upwards of $5,000.
Most of the videos follow the same formula. The thumbnail shows a smiling teen holding oversized shopping bags. They begin by saying how grateful they are and how they are absolutely not trying to brag. Then they start removing each item from a mountain of packaging, holding each one close to the camera to give the viewer a good look. Some even opt for "try-on" hauls to model their new, trendy clothes.
They have become so popular that some YouTube $(GOOGL)$ $(GOOG)$ channels are now dedicated entirely to back-to-school shopping sprees, posting hours-long compilation videos from multiple users' hauls that draw thousands of viewers. The hauls influence consumer behavior, too: 62% of parents of K-12 students say they pay more than they planned ahead of the school year because their child asks for a specific brand or trending item, according to a survey published Wednesday by payments platform Lightspeed Commerce $(LSPD)$.
While these videos can introduce trends and build social pressure before students even set foot in a classroom, retail experts stress that back-to-school budgets are subjective and lavish haul videos do not reflect the average household's reality.
"To one person, a $2,000 back-to-school haul is normal; to another person, they would never spend that much in their lifetime," shopping expert Trae Bodge said. "Social media is really changing the landscape in terms of how younger people shop. ... If a kid is seeing a pair of designer sneakers all over their social feeds, they're going to go back to their parents and ask for a $300 pair of sneakers."
How much students are spending on back-to-school shopping sprees in 2026
College students are expected to spend an average of $1,438 each ahead of the 2026-27 academic year, up from $1,326 last year, according to data from the National Retail Federation. The projected average cost of supplies and clothes for each K-12 student is $864, up only $6 from 2025.
LendingTree (TREE) attributed stable K-12 spending primarily to tech hardware like Google Chromebooks and calculators falling 12.5% in price since 2019 - offsetting cost increases in physical school supplies (up 9.9%), clothing (up 6.8%) and shoes (up 6.7%).
LendingTree, which also published a back-to-school survey, broke down the average K-12 spending basket as follows:
-- Electronics: $295.81
-- Clothing and accessories: $249.36
-- Shoes: $169.13
-- School supplies: $143.77
"People who are doing well financially are spending more, while those who aren't are pulling back," Matt Schulz, chief consumer-finance analyst at LendingTree, noted in the report. "Taken together, that results in spending that's slightly higher but largely unchanged."
How parents can lower their back-to-school bill
For parents looking to navigate high prices and brand pressure without blowing their budgets, shopping experts recommend a few practical steps:
-- Involve kids in the budget negotiation: If a child insists on a $300 pair of shoes, Bodge recommends having them contribute their own money from a summer job or allowance. Having skin in the game quickly separates true priorities from passing social-media trends.
-- Embrace resale platforms for brand names: Apps like Depop EBAY, Poshmark and Vinted can allow parents and teens to acquire name-brand items at a fraction of retail prices. Teaching kids to sell their outgrown clothes on these apps can also create circular credit to fund new purchases.
-- Hold back a portion of your budget: Avoid spending 100% of your back-to-school fund before the first day of class. Keeping a small cash reserve allows parents to buy the inevitable "must-have" trend item after kids see what their friends are wearing. Plus, prices on fall apparel are more likely to be marked down closer to Labor Day.
-- Shop bulk and track tax-free weekends: Taking advantage of state sales-tax holidays, store loyalty apps and credit-card cash-back portals can offer immediate percentage discounts on big-ticket essentials. For everyday lunch-box items, bulk buying at wholesale clubs like Costco or Sam's Club WMT avoids retail markups at standard grocery stores.
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-Genna Contino
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