HOUSTON — When Maddie Davis got the supply list from her son’s elementary school, she knew it was going to be tough.
“It’s not something that’s easy to be able to say oh let me just rearrange my bills and here you go, I can make it work,” Davis said. “It’s not even possible to do that at this point.”
Davis is a single mom and living check-to-check.
Her only son Jax is going into pre-K and his list is almost as big as he is. Davis got some of the things on the list. She’s shopping for deals and waiting for the tax-free holiday weekend.
“It definitely takes a toll,” Davis said. “It makes it feel like you can’t take care of your child in certain ways. It’s very hard”
Davis is not alone.
A new back-to-school survey from U. S. News and World Report suggests that 77% of parents are somewhat or very worried about being able to afford expenses.
Inflation is taking such a toll that the survey also finds that two-thirds of parents plan to buy less this year because they simply can’t afford more.
Davis is one of them.
“Just find my resources where I can,” she said. “Send him to school with what’s he’s got and hope that we can make it work. One day at a time.”