In the North Hills neighborhood in Raleigh, Kristin Silberman was out shopping on Friday at Target for her two boys, a 5th grader, and a 6th grader.
"We kind of start early, and it makes it a little easier to budget," she said, standing in the back-to-school section.
Silberman is also a teacher picking up items, like paper, pencils, scissors and glue, for her classroom. She said she has already noticed prices increasing.
"I try to set a budget for my classroom," Silberman said, "and I also ask for donations from friends, and with my wish lists and so that's been helpful."
According to the National Retail Federation, about 67% of back-to-school shoppers have already started to make purchases. Shoppers are expected to spend about $858 per family on clothes, school supplies, and electronics, down from last year.
Some say they are being mindful of spending based on the economy and potential higher prices that could hit consumers due to the new tariff rates set to take effect for most countries on August 7.
Target and other retailers are trying to ease the heavier costs for families this back-to-school shopping season. Target announced it will keep its 2024 prices for basic school supplies rather than raising them.
"With having year-round students and traditional schools, we see traffic towards the end of July throughout all of August, and with our great deals and savings throughout our apparel sections and our back-to-school areas, we're seeing a ton of guest traffic that way," Target Store Manager Cathrine Kogut said.
The retailer is also offering discounts to college students and teachers. Something Silberman is taking advantage of.
"The 20% off at Target that I view is really helpful for those supplies," she said. "As a teacher, I can get 20% off for the rest of the month. So, that's been really helpful."
Alena Wallace also noticed prices are up this year for school supplies. She has two kids to shop for this school year.
"Next week is my week to shop, so just go through the list, see what they have left from the last year," Wallace said.
Silberman, though trying to get a head start, is concerned tariffs could send up prices for back-to-school items even more.
"The tariffs are definitely a little scary. So, I try to I'm trying to get everything ahead of time, even like a new car or, you know, like everything we're trying to get ahead of time because we don't know what's going to happen."