Back to School Shopping Is OUT OF CONTROL in 2026

Описание: Back to school season is here, and some of these viral back to school haul videos left me with questions. In this Social Symone reaction and social commentary, we're reacting to TikToks showing just how expensive back to school shopping has become—including parents and students spending thousands of dollars on back to school clothes, shoes, school supplies, extracurricular activities, tuition, beauty products, lunch accessories and more.

One family's breakdown included nearly $2,000 for a 10th grader, more than $5,000 for an 11th grader and almost $20,000 in total back to school expenses for a preschooler—with $16,000 attributed to school fees. We also look at a mom who says she spent $340 on school supplies for a first grader.

But this conversation goes far beyond a few expensive back to school hauls.

We're talking about the cost of raising kids, back to school expenses, private school tuition, inflation, family budgeting, consumer spending, personal finance, consumerism, overconsumption and the difference between a WANT and a NEED. How much of this spending is actually necessary—and how much is being influenced by TikTok, viral hauls and what we see other people buying online?

Some of these viral back to school hauls include huge clothing purchases, Sephora products, multiple pairs of shoes, aesthetic school supplies, Stanley lunch bags and coordinated lunch accessories. So when does preparing your child for school turn into overconsumption? And has social media changed what people now consider a “normal” back to school shopping trip?

And there's another side to this conversation: every family's financial situation is different. If parents can comfortably afford these purchases, should anyone care how much they spend? Or are viral TikTok videos and massive back to school hauls creating unrealistic expectations for parents and students?

This is also a money and finance conversation. Personal finance isn't only about investing or paying off debt—it also includes budgeting, everyday consumer spending and deciding which purchases actually make sense for your household. A viral haul might be entertaining to watch, but someone else's spending doesn't have to become your financial standard.

We're also talking about families who may be struggling with school expenses and why local back to school drives and community organizations can be valuable resources for parents working within a budget.

You don't need to recreate somebody else's viral back to school haul for your child to have a successful school year. Whether you're buying school supplies, clothes, shoes or other back to school necessities, what another family spends doesn't have to determine what YOU spend.

👇 What do YOU think: Is back to school shopping OUT OF CONTROL in 2026, or is this spending completely reasonable if parents can afford it? How much are you spending per child this school year?

Chapters:
0:00 Back to School Shopping Is Getting Expensive
0:34 Nearly $2,000 for One 10th Grader?!
3:32 The Nearly $20,000 Preschool Bill
6:02 More Than $5,000 for an 11th Grader
8:48 The Massive Back to School Shopping Haul
12:32 What Does a Teen NEED From Sephora?
14:51 When Wants Start Becoming “Needs”
19:16 Where Are the Actual School Supplies?
20:07 Is This Overconsumption?
21:44 The Aesthetic Senior Year School Haul
24:08 $340 of Supplies for a First Grader
27:39 Nine Pairs of Shoes for a First Grader?!
29:20 The Back to School Lunch Drawer
30:41 Stanley Lunch Bags & Matching Accessories
33:32 How Social Media Keeps Us Buying
34:12 This Doesn't Have to Be the Standard
35:28 Are Back to School Hauls Out of Control?

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