MILWAUKEE — The first day of school is right around the corner and that means back-to-school shopping.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, we've seen prices skyrocket in nearly every corner of the store.
We show you how to get the best bang for your buck on school supplies.
Courtney Peterson's getting her son ready to head back to the classroom. He's started third grade.
"It's crazy cause now I have to go shopping for stuff and the prices have gone sky high with a lot of stuff," Peterson described.
TMJ4 caught up with Peterson at Meijer. So far, she said she's spent $100 on school supplies and school hasn't even started.
According to Nerd Wallet, $100 is actually below the average a family with multiple kids will spend on school supplies this year.
"On average, parents are going to be spending over $600 on school supplies," Nerd Wallet Financial Expert, Kimberly Palmer, said.
Palmer said that's much higher than in years past.
"The challenge this year for parents is that everything is more expensive, including school supplies. You can expect prices are higher than what you paid last year," Palmer explained.
We checked out local spots to see what shelves looked like. We went to the Oak Creek Meijer and found deals on school supplies in almost every aisle.
"We're a one-stop-shop for this. Covering back to college, we're covering back to school. There's special deals all around," Store Director Steve Talbert said.
Talbert said in addition to deals on school supplies, teachers will get some savings too.
"They do a lot on their own, so we have 15 percent off for teachers on school supplies, and apparel, home, and office as well," Talbert added.
To save even more money:
1. Stick with school lists, that way you're not buying unnecessary items.
2. Make sure to comparison shop. Check big ticket items at different stores to ensure you get the best deal.
3. Check price match policies at stores. If they offer that, you could get money back if prices drop.
4. Coordinate with other parents, sometimes it's cheaper to buy in bulk.
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