Back-To-School Season Costs More This Year: How Trump Is Driving Up Prices On Groceries, School Supplies, Gas, And More

MS Now - Parents Struggle With Back-To-School Season As Tariffs, Iran War Drive Up Costs

CBS News - Back To School Costs Are Driving Some Parents Into Debt, Or Risky Behaviors Like Gambling

CNBC - Affordability Is A 'Defining Challenge' For Americans, With Food Costs Leading The Way, Report Finds

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As Trump continues to claim affordability is a "hoax" and a "con job," Americans are feeling the strain of Trump's policies on their pocketbooks. Headlines from across the country this summer lay bare Trump's cost-of-living crisis as families get ready to send their kids back to school. Parents are worried about the cost of school supplies and their kids' lunches, gas prices are at an all-time high for August, and families' vacations had to be cut short as rising inflation and the cost of airfare hit wallets. Trump's attempts to pass the buck belie Americans' reality: his illegal war in Iran, his tariffs, and the rest of Republicans' failed economic policies have made life unaffordable for families nationwide. Because of President Trump and Republicans' broken promises, working families across the country are now paying more but getting less-and they're fed up.

While Republicans are focused on foreign wars and Trump's vanity projects, Senate Democrats have laid out a vision for cutting costs on housing, groceries, energy, child care, and health care.

Families are paying for Trump's failures:

New York Times - Inflation Remains Elevated As Energy Costs Push On Prices. "The stubborn U.S. inflation problem did not get much worse in July. It did not get any better, either. Consumer prices were up 3.7 percent in July from a year earlier, according to the Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation, the Personal Consumption Expenditure price index. That was the same rate as in June, and still well above the Fed's target of 2 percent annual inflation." … "For many families, however, the situation is less complicated. Consumers are paying higher prices for essentials, particularly gas, while wage growth has stagnated. " [NYT, 8/26/26]

Wisconsin Public Radio - Millions Of Older Americans Don't Have Enough To Eat, As Food Prices Rise Beyond Fixed Incomes. "High food prices are pushing some older adults to make difficult budget decisions. That can mean scaling back on produce in favor of cheaper, processed foods, stretching food items longer, or even forgoing medication. In addition, according to AARP, nearly half of older adults who carry credit card debt are using credit cards to buy food." [WPR, 8/25/26]

ABC News - Tariffs Will Cost US Households Over $1,000 A Year, Yale Budget Lab Says. "United States tariffs will cost the typical American household more than $1,000 per year, the non-partisan Yale Budget Lab found in an estimate released on Tuesday. The forecast arrives amid a flurry of fresh levies imposed on Canadian products after a collapse in trade negotiations over the weekend. A round of 50% U.S. tariffs on dozens of Canadian goods worth $20 billion took effect on Saturday, followed by a measure unveiled on Monday that will double levies on Canadian cars and auto parts in January. The new tariffs on Canadian goods accounted for about $30 extra per household per year, the Yale Budget Lab said." [ABC News, 8/25/26]

USA Today - Their Finances Were Tough. Then Came 'Insane' Back-To-School Costs. "Brandi McGrath usually buys quality, long-lasting school supplies for her 9-year-old son and his teachers. But sharp increases in the cost of folders, pencils and other products have forced her to cut back and search for cheaper alternatives. 'It's insane how expensive things have gotten," said McGrath, 48, of Salt Lake City. "I'm looking for every sale I can.' In Daytona Beach, Florida, Karin Kaiser was similarly struck by the cost of back-to-school shopping this year." [USA Today, 8/22/26]

Financial Times - Trump's Economic Challenge: $40tn Debt, 6.7% Mortgages And $5 Diesel. "Almost two years since Donald Trump won election pledging to slash prices and fix the US's public finances, his Iran war and tax cuts have delivered a different outcome: record-high debt, soaring fuel costs and punishing mortgage rates. Investors pushed yields on long-term US debt to a 19-year high on Tuesday amid alarm at the weight of public borrowing and the war's inflationary fallout." … "Government debt hit a record $40tn this week, with borrowing rising at its fastest pace outside the pandemic era as federal spending outstrips income." [Financial Times, 8/22/26]

Washington Post - Most Schools Ask Parents To Buy Almost $100 Of Back-To-School Supplies. "It's back-to-school shopping season, which means parents are spending money on new crayons and notebooks. Parents are calculating just how much they can afford to spend on school supplies, what children can reuse from the year before and what on teachers' lists will have to be abandoned. The cost of school supplies has risen nearly 8 percent since last year, according to a report from the left-leaning groups the Century Foundation and Groundwork Collaborative, which pointed out that the makers of such school staples as Elmer's glue, Mead and Five Star notebooks, and Logitech headphones have all spoken publicly about raising their prices because of the Trump administration's tariffs on imported goods." [Washington Post, 8/21/26]

NBC - 'Mom, Are We OK?' Children Worry Their Families Can't Afford Food After Trump's SNAP Cuts. "In Texas, a 6-year-old stood in front of her family's refrigerator, hoping food would magically appear. In Delaware, an 11-year-old wondered why her family could no longer afford Cinnamon Toast Crunch. In New Jersey, four siblings wanted their mother to buy groceries - but she had to tell them she couldn't. Across America, the government's policies are making children hungry. Some parents said they have tried to hide what's happening. The mother in New Jersey didn't tell her children that she had been eating ice to save food for them. In Texas, the 6-year-old didn't know that her mom had been losing weight. The 11-year-old in Delaware, though, knew something was wrong. When she realized her family had stopped buying her favorite cereal, she asked, "Mom, are we OK?" [NBC, 8/21/26]

The Guardian - US Gas Prices Reach Highest Ever Recorded For August Amid Stalled Talks With Iran. "US gas prices this month are so far the highest ever recorded for August as peace talks between the US and Iran have stalled and Donald Trump launched fresh threats against Oman. The national average price of gas was $4.06 per gallon on Monday, according to data from AAA, $0.05 higher than last week and $1 more expensive than a year ago. In California and Hawaii, averages hit about $5.50 a gallon." [The Guardian, 8/17/26]

MS Now - Parents Struggle With Back-To-School Season As Tariffs, Iran War Drive Up Costs. "Notebooks, backpacks, lunch boxes, index cards - these are just some of the many items straining budgets as families get ready for back-to-school shopping. 'My daughter wanted a book bag that cost $35,' said Phyllis Creameans, a single mom of four from West Virginia. 'I don't understand why it's so much. It's not a name brand. It's not Nike. It's not Jordan or Adidas or any of that. Just a regular old simple book bag.'" [MS Now, 8/16/26]

CBS News - Back To School Costs Are Driving Some Parents Into Debt, Or Risky Behaviors Like Gambling. "Back to school season is a particularly expensive one, with spending on school supplies for K-12 students expected to hit the $43 billion range. According to Chicago-based Deloitte, parents plan to spend an average of $557 per child. Illinois parents are set to shell out even more, $794 per child. With inflation, rising costs from factors including tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration, and general economic pressures, some parents are taking drastic measures to be able to afford school supplies." [CBS News, 8/14/26]

Associated Press - Families Feel The Pinch Of Higher Children's Shoe Prices As Kids Head Back To School. "As summer fades and kids head back to school, the pressure to stand out or fit in with the right footwear is colliding with higher prices. That's straining family budgets that are already being squeezed by rising costs for food, gas and other essentials, so parents and kids are spending more time looking for deals or buying fewer pairs, according to analysts and retailers. And many parents are simply saying no, whether it's for $150 soccer cleats, Adidas Sambas reimagined as Mary Janes, or the $300 Kobe Bryant kicks Jonah initially hoped to get." [AP, 8/13/26]

USA Today -'There's No Joy In Living This Way.' Families Struggling To Make Ends Meet. "Alexandra Thompson and her husband both work full time, but the cost of groceries and other daily essentials like gas have risen so much that they've maxed out their credit cards and are buying only what they can afford each week with cash. 'It feels like almost week to week that our groceries are becoming more expensive when we're not buying extra things,' Thompson, 31, of Union City, Tennessee, said of the food they buy for themselves and their 9-year-old son. 'We're getting just the essentials every week.'" [USA Today, 8/10/26]

CNBC - Affordability Is A 'Defining Challenge' For Americans, With Food Costs Leading The Way, Report Finds. "Affordability is the "defining challenge" when it comes to economic mobility, according to a new report by the McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The survey of 30,000 Americans across income levels found that 90% of those polled cited groceries and food prices as a top cost concern, even over other key expenses, such as housing and healthcare."… "Food at home, a measure of price changes at the grocery store, also increased from a year earlier." [CNBC, 8/5/26]

Wall Street Journal - Iran War Pushes Companies To Raise Prices On Beer, Paint, Fries And More. "The continuing closure of the Strait of Hormuz is beginning to hit Americans' wallets far beyond the pump. Companies say they are raising prices on products ranging from French fries and beer to paint and packaging to offset their own rising commodity and freight costs. Samuel Adams brewer Boston Beer, Sherwin-Williams, International Paper and Unilever-maker of Dove soap and Hellmann's mayonnaise-are among the companies that have told investors in recent days that they have raised prices or plan to soon to compensate for more expensive raw materials." [WSJ, 8/1/26]

Bloomberg - Mortgage Rates In US Rise To 6.66%, Highest Level In A Year. "US mortgage rates rose to a 12-month high as Treasury yields climbed in recent weeks and continued fighting in Iran fueled concern about higher inflation. The average for a 30-year, fixed loan increased to 6.66% from 6.58% a week earlier, Freddie Mac said in a statement Thursday. The rate was the highest since July 31, 2025, when it was 6.72%. The property market has been held back in recent months by elevated borrowing costs, which had fallen below 6% in late February before the Middle East conflict boosted energy prices. The war contributed to a disappointing spring sales season, and the market has continued to soften." [Bloomberg, 7/30/26]

New York Times - U.S. Economy Slows as Inflation Bites. "The American economy slowed in the second quarter of the year, expanding at an annual rate of 1.5 percent as the war with Iran upended prices, supply chains and energy markets. Oil prices have receded from their peaks in the spring. But damage in the form of higher prices for gasoline and other petroleum-based products is still hitting households and businesses. Persistent inflation and uncertainty over the Federal Reserve's plans to contain it pushed up bond yields this week." [NYT, 7/30/26]

CBS News - Families Face Higher Costs As Back-To-School Season Nears. "As back-to-school season approaches, families will face higher prices for supplies and other costs for the upcoming academic year, a new analysis found." … "Families will spend roughly $4,000 per student on school supplies and lunches this year, including about $175 on school items and $3,800 on packed lunches, according to the analysis." … "A recent survey of more than 1,000 parents by Credit Karma found that 45% expect to take on debt to cover back-to-school costs." [CBS News, 7/29/26]

19^th News - You're Not Imagining It: Your Kid's School Supplies Cost More This Year. "Pencils are more expensive. So are notebooks, scissors, glue sticks - just about every back-to-school item that families will load into their literal or virtual carts this summer has gone up in price at a time when American families already feel crushed by rising costs." … "Driving up some of these costs are tariffs and the war on Iran." [19^th News, 7/27/26]

NBC News - Summer Vacations Are Shrinking As Costs Keep Rising. "Shorter getaways. Campgrounds instead of hotels. Car trips rather than cross-country flights. For many Americans feeling the pain of higher gas prices, summer vacation is looking different this year." … "As gas prices and airfares spike, the typical summer vacation is becoming unaffordable for many. Nearly 1 in 5 people said they were canceling or postponing their summer vacation because of cost concerns, according to a June survey by the American Hotel and Lodging Association." [NBC News, 7/25/26]

Associated Press - Americans Rewire Their Grocery Shopping Routines While Digesting The Biggest Price Jump In 50 Years. "What's for dinner? Lately, at Apral Jack's house, it's whatever is on sale. Jack scouts an app for deals at her local supermarket before she buys groceries. When she reaches the store, she grabs the weekly circular to look for coupons she might have missed. If the shelf prices look too high, she scratches items off her list or tries to find lower prices someplace else. 'The apples went up here, the ones I eat, so now I'm not going to get them here. I'll go to Market Basket, where I can get them cheaper,' Jack, 50, said as she pushed a cart into a Stop & Shop near her home in Lexington, Massachusetts." [AP, 7/25/26]

NBC News - As Gas Prices And Mortgage Rates Rise, The Consumer Affordability Crisis Returns. "The affordability crisis is revving up again. The war with Iran and President Donald Trump's global tariff agenda are pushing prices higher across the country and raising fears of renewed inflation." … "All of these rising prices and interest rates mean that pressure is mounting again on consumers. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, told NBC News that the war is costing the average household more than $1,200." [NBC News, 7/24/26]

CNBC - Trump Tariffs, Inflation Have Some Parents Worried About Back-To-School Shopping Costs. "Back-to-school shopping is a little more stressful this year. With inflation picking up, and President Donald Trump's new tariff rates threatening to drive prices even higher, some parents are worried about making ends meet. Roughly 20% of back-to-school shoppers said buying supplies for the new year is straining their budgets, according to a new report by Bankrate, which polled more than 2,600 adults in June." [CNBC, 7/23/26]

CNBC - U.S. Grocery Slowdown Deepens As Shoppers Buy Fewer Items, Raising Pressure On Food Companies. "The U.S. grocery slowdown is becoming harder to ignore. Shoppers are buying fewer items than a year ago, and grocery sales are declining as weakening unit sales are now outweighing rising prices. That is according to new analysis from Bain & Company using NielsenIQ grocery data shared exclusively with CNBC." [CNBC, 7/16/26]

USA Today - Paychecks Gone In A 'Blink.' Rising Costs On The Minds Of Americans. "American consumers are hard-pressed to remember a time when inflation wasn't on their minds. Consumer prices have spiked for five straight years. In that span, prices have risen more than 25%. In other words, a typical product that cost $100 in 2021 is likely to cost at least $125 now." [USA Today, 7/19/26]

The Guardian - Half Of Americans Struggle To Afford Groceries And Gas, Exclusive Poll Finds. "Ninety-five per cent of Americans believe the US is suffering an affordability crisis, as many report trouble with the rising cost of groceries and gas, according to an exclusive new poll conducted for the Guardian. The survey, conducted by Harris Poll, paints a bleak picture of how people feel about the US economy amid the war in Iran and ahead of the key midterm elections this fall. Despite stable employment and record-high stock markets, more Americans believe the overall economy is getting worse (57%) than in February (46%), when the poll was last conducted and before the war in the Middle East sent gas prices soaring." [The Guardian, 7/7/26]

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