But retailers and brands face a more cautious consumer who is getting fatigued by higher prices driven by inflation<\/a>. There’s also a negative impact on one’s mental health connected to the BTS season. New research from\u00a0Beyond Finance, the debt consolidation service provider, found that parents across the U.S. are caught in what it calls the “Back-to-School Parent Trap,” which is “the emotional tension between protecting their family’s financial future<\/a> and making sure their children don’t feel left out.” <\/p>\n \u00a0Eye on the wallet\u00a0 <\/p>\n In Deloitte’s recent BTS survey<\/a>, researchers at the firm said families are approaching the season “with the same disciplined caution that has defined the post-pandemic years.” Deloitte said it expects spending per child to come in flat year over year at $557. The firm’s consumer poll found that 57 percent of respondents “expect the economy to worsen in the next six months, the highest level reported in the survey since 2020.” <\/p>\n But that doesn’t mean some parents are not willing to spend. <\/p>\n “Parents are, however, taking it in their stride, as value-seeking has become their default mode,” the report’s authors said. “Most back-to-school shoppers use at least one cost-saving tactic, while one-third employ four or more. Notably, these hyper-value seekers (adopting four or more cost-saving behaviors) spend 14 percent more on average, offering opportunities for retailers to earn incremental dollars.” <\/p>\n Still, other consumer polls are finding that most households plan to spend less. <\/p>\n NerdWallet’s BTS consumer poll found that shoppers expect to spend $611 on average on BTS expenses such as clothing, supplies and books. This is $130 less than\u00a0last year’s average and close to the $610 spent in 2023. <\/p>\n “With other costs, like gas, going up this year, it’s no surprise parents are planning to curb their back-to-school spending,” said Sara Rathner, a NerdWallet credit cards expert. “But a lot of expenses feel out of their control. This can make it tough to stick to a budget.” <\/p>\n Story Continues <\/p>\n \u00a0Stressing out\u00a0 <\/p>\n In the Beyond Finance report, which was based on a survey of 2,000 U.S. parents, researchers found that\u00a070 percent “feel pressure\u00a0to buy the same clothes, technology and school supplies as other families, while\u00a061 percent admit they’ve purchased something simply so their child wouldn’t feel left out.” <\/p>\n The report revealed 54 percent of those polled said they worry their child will be judged for reusing clothing or school supplies, while\u00a042 percent of those who’ve made pressure-driven purchases said they later regretted the purchases made. <\/p>\n