Why Back To School Shopping Is So Stressful

August is a month that parents look forward to all summer. Later this month the kids will be back in school! A little freedom for moms and dads! But there is a price tag on that freedom. And that price is the cost of back to school supplies. Yes, temper your happiness parents. Your bliss is going to cost you.

A new survey looked at how much parents will spend on average per child on back to school supplies. And what a surprise! Things have gotten even more expensive! The average cost per child for back to school items is $569. Let's break that down.

• New clothes. $189, up from $153 last year.
• Electronics. $186, up from $121 last year.
• New shoes. $95, up from $71 last year.
• Backpack. $45, up from $33 last year.
• Art supplies. $24, up from $17 last year.
• Pencils and pens. $15, up from $13 last year.
• Folders and notebooks. $15, up from $12 last year.

Sure, some parents will spend less and others will spend more on certain things. But the average is $569 per child. So you can understand why parents like me are sweating a bit this month. I have to multiply by THREE.

Holly and I used to go out after the kids went off to school for the first day. But with the cost of sending them this high, it looks like the dollar menu for us this year.

[via PR Newswire]