Back-to-school shopping on a budget

The National Retail Federation predicts that the average household will spend $875 on back-to-school shopping.

Up from $697 just 5 years ago.

With inflation so high, parents are looking for affordability when it comes to back-to-school shopping.

An option may be checking out one of our many local thrift stores.

Two options in the Reno-Sparks area are the Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission’s Thrift Depot stores, or the Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada thrift stores.

“We have all kinds of back-to-school items whether you’re outfitting a dorm room, looking for backpacks, if you’re looking for clothing for your children as you’re going back into that space. And it’s really expensive out there right now so coming to a thrift store you’re going to get a lot of bang for your buck,” says Marie Baxter with Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada.

“This is to help support our community. This is something that we feel is vital for our community because we’re giving back in the best ways we can but also… it’s at a reasonable price.” adds Luis Santoni with the Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission.

Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission’s Thrift Depots have a variety of children’s clothing ranging from $2 to $5 per garment.

You can also find school supplies such as notebooks, binders, rulers and more for less than a dollar.

Gently used backpacks and lunch boxes are also less than a few bucks each.

Santoni says that Thrift Depots are also offering a 40 % off sale of household items and furniture for students returning to college.