Colorado parents look to cut costs on back-to-school supplies as prices rise

The back-to-school shopping season is upon us. As Colorado parents prepare to stop by stores and snag the essentials, many are budgeting to spend more as they navigate the impact of tariffs.

Aurora mom Karina Nemitz is excited to send her kids to classes in Aurora this week. Leading up until now, there's been plenty to navigate.

"I have two kids, Madison and Micah," she said. "My daughter, she's going into second grade, and my son's going to kindergarten. We've been getting everything ready, our school supplies, getting everything we need. Crayons, markers, pencils and all the things," Nemitz said.

This year, as she picked up her supplies, she noticed something right away: higher prices. "I even went back to my Target purchases from last year and looked at the prices. I did notice some of the basic things, like the 50-cent things are getting closer to the dollar, water bottles are much more expensive."

Data from the National Retail Federation found that 67% of back-to-school shoppers began buying school supplies, clothes, and electronics the first week of July. That's up 55% from last year. More than half are concerned about looming tariffs and inflation that ticked up in June.

"I can just imagine with more than two kids, (prices) can definitely add up," said Nemitz. But she says there are ways to combat that increase.

"I feel like you have to look out at what people are sharing or posting and take advantage of it then so you can get the best deal," she suggested. "Stick to essentials first. I like to keep some at home too, so just reuse what you can if you have extra stuff from last year."

In addition, you can think about using cash-back apps like Ibotta or Rakuten to boost your savings.