71% of parents say they expect to spend more on everyday school-year essentials this year than last year.
64% have swapped at least one of their child’s favorite brands for a cheaper store-brand alternative.
Parents are treating recurring grocery and household costs as part of the school-year budget, with some cutting back on items their kids regularly request.
The back-to-school rush may be over, but the costs of keeping kids fed, supplied, and ready for school don’t stop once the first day arrives.
A new study from DOSS found that 71% of parents expect to spend more on everyday school-year essentials this year than they did last year, with many families changing what they buy to keep costs under control.
Eshaan Kaul, Head of Growth at DOSS, spoke with us about how these ongoing expenses are affecting family budgets and the trade-offs parents are making as the school year continues.
How the study was conducted
To better understand how rising prices are affecting families during the school year, DOSS surveyed 811 U.S. parents of K-12 children in 2026. The parents were all adults aged 18 or older, with an average age of 42, and represented a range of household income levels.
DOSS also surveyed 205 K-12 teachers to examine how higher costs are affecting classrooms. In addition to the survey responses, researchers analyzed U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics pricing data, comparing June 2026 prices with those from June 2019.
The survey found that parents expect to spend a median of about $200 per month on everyday school-year consumables, and 71% said that amount is higher than what they spent last year.
Many families are also changing what they buy to manage those higher costs. Nearly two-thirds of parents (64%) said they have switched one of their child's favorite brands for a cheaper store-brand alternative this school year, while 45% said they have stopped buying a snack, drink, or lunch item their child regularly asks for because it became too expensive.
The pricing data showed why those changes may be necessary. DOSS found that a fixed basket of common lunchbox staples cost nearly 45% more in June 2026 than it did in June 2019, rising from $21.57 to $31.38. Orange juice saw the largest increase among the items examined, with prices rising 96% over that period.
The grocery bill
Kaul said that the grocery bill is likely the biggest hidden cost that many parents don’t factor into their school spending.
“Parents budget for an August shopping trip, and then treat lunch ingredients, snacks, and paper products as ordinary household spending when they’re really school expenses that recur every week of the school year,” Kaul explained.
“Our research also showed that a fixed assortment of common lunchbox items, which cost $21.57 in 2019, now costs $31.38, a rise of nearly 45%. These small, repeated purchases can accumulate over the course of the school year.”
This is especially true when it comes to popular name brand versus store brand options. The rising costs of just about everything have changed how many parents are shopping at their local grocery stores.
“The name brands got too expensive, full stop,” Kaul said. “Every food and paper item we priced has risen faster than overall inflation since 2019, and parents are responding the way you’d expect: 64% have swapped at least one of their child’s favorite brands for a store brand this year, and 45% have stopped buying a snack, drink, or lunch item their child regularly asks for.
“The hardest category to give up is breakfast. When parents cut back, 26% say breakfast foods are the one thing they protect. That said, even breakfast isn’t unaffected: 28% of parents have replaced Pop-Tarts with a cheaper alternative and 26% have replaced Eggo. This doesn’t go unnoticed by kids. 36% of parents told us their child complained after a switch.”
Change how you budget
For parents who may be struggling to keep up with back-to-school costs, Kaul has some advice.
“Treat school-year consumables as a recurring monthly expense, not a one-time August cost,” Kaul said. “From there, decide what your household actually cares about and cut elsewhere.
“Parents are already doing this instinctively: 26% keep their children’s favorite breakfast foods when they trim spending, and 64% have moved at least one favorite brand to a store-brand version. Giving these purchases their own line in the monthly budget makes the true cost of the school year visible, and it’s a lot easier to manage a number you can see.”