Parents expect to spend more — and take on debt — for back-to-school shopping
A large number of parents are willing to go into the red for the children’s back-to-school needs this year.
Close to half (45%) of parents plan to take on debt to pay for back-to-school shopping this year, according to new data from Intuit Credit Karma. This figure is up from 34% in 2024.
Nearly six-in-10 (57%) parents are entering back-to-school season with credit card debt, while 48% have opened or plan to open a new credit card – or increase their credit limit – to help cover back-to-school expenses.
Almost two-thirds (65%) of consumers now say the high cost of living will push them to spend more this year, up from 59% in 2024. More than half (54%) say they dread the season because of the financial stress it causes, compared to 44% in 2024.
Close to half (47%) of those surveyed plan to spend up to $500. Two-thirds (67%) plan to spend up to $750, while 15% plan to spend between $1,000 and $2,000.
To save money, six-in-10 (61%) consumers say they are starting their back-to-school shopping earlier than usual this year so they can spread purchases across multiple paychecks (37%) and avoid taking on debt all at once (27%).
Intuit Credit Karma found that one-third (33%) of parents say they can’t afford back-to-school shopping this year, and as a result, nearly half (49%) plan to sacrifice essentials like groceries or bills to make room in their budgets. Nearly one-in-four (38%) will depend on hand-me-downs or borrowed items.
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“Parents are facing difficult tradeoffs this back-to-school season,” said Courtney Alev, consumer financial advocate at Intuit Credit Karma. “This year’s findings show many parents are entering the season already carrying debt, and many are willing to take on more to give their kids what they need – or what they feel they need – to start the school year on equal footing with their peers.”
Additional insights from the survey include the following:
- Six-in-10 parents say their children are asking for non-essential items they’ve seen trending on social media, and nearly half (48%) say their child’s wish list is very far apart from what their budget allows.
- Nearly two-thirds (63%) of parents say they’ve had to cut back on back-to-school purchases for their younger child/children in order to afford their older child’s college expenses.
- Parents are utilizing AI tools for back-to-school shopping, most often to find deals or discounts (36%), compare prices across retailers (33%) and to create a shopping list (31%).
Intuit Credit Karma’s survey was conducted online within the United States by Qualtrics between June 30 and July 6, 2026, among 1,032 parents with at least one child under 18.
