Back to school shopping is putting more strain on families than usual this year.
A survey by the national retail federation says 68 percent of people believe they've seen higher prices on back to school items this year - mostly on supplies and clothes.
But VP of research Mark Mathews says over the last three years, costs of most back to school items actually haven't seen a significant increase.
"With the exception of furniture and stationary, most categories have not seen significant inflation. On the other hand back to school spending has ratcheted up dramatically the last three years."
Still - the cost of things like food and gas are hitting families hard, forcing some to make changes to ensure they're sending their kids back to school prepared. 38 percent say they're cutting back in other areas.
Overall back to school spending is expected to hit nearly $37 billion - the same as last year, which set an all-time record.
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