A week or so ago, we published an article about back-to-school sales.  In it, the author mentioned that the average family will spend $606.40 on clothing, supplies, electronics and other back-to-school staples.

I'm pretty much finished with our back-to-school shopping at this point, and fortunately for the American economy, I have to report that my family is above average.  Sigh.

That was a little scary until I checked the US Census Bureau for some information on family size.   Apparently the average American family contains 3.2 people.  In contrast, my family has three people in school.

My disclaimer continues:  two of my kids wear uniforms to school.  One of my kids is required to buy a specific brand and style of shoes to wear with those uniforms.   She is also new to the school, so we need all new uniforms.  Another child is off to college, so his desk had to be outfitted with supplies that we generally keep at home for whole-family use, such as a stapler, hole punch and paper clips.

And then there are the computers.  Mr. College Bound just got a laptop for school, and Miss Freshman will be leasing hers through the school (as required.  This is the same school that has the dress code all the way to shoes).

We still have schoolbooks and gym uniforms to buy for Miss Freshman, and I'm anticipating that at that point, we'll be about double the average family's total.

Trying to keep your total down?  Make sure to visit our Back to School Sales page for the best deals on all your back-to-school needs.

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