FLORENCE, Ky. — With kids heading back to school, many Kentucky parents are hitting the stores for some last-minute school supply shopping. And that shopping is hitting their wallets hard.

A new survey shows back to school spending is expected to reach record highs this year.

Families like John Smith’s are trying to get everything they need without spending an arm and a leg, but that’s easier said than done, as they’re noticing higher totals when they check out.

“I think it’s like triple the cost of what it’s always been,” Smith said.

The National Retail Federation’s annual survey shows spending for kindergarten through grade 12 is expected to reach $41.5 billion across the U.S. this year. Last year, it was $36.9 billion.

Many shoppers are trying to take advantage of sales events to cut down on costs.

“Just try to shop around, you know? Look and see where the best deals are, and just check it off the list,” Smith said.

According to the survey, 69% of shoppers plan to buy some kind of electronics, with spending on electronics projected to reach a new high of $15.2 billion.

About a third of shoppers blame their increased spending on needing more high-cost items. Smith said inflation is still hurting, too. So much so, in fact, he’s questioning many things.

“We send our kids to private school,” he said. “Like, why are we buying all this stuff, and we still pay to go to private school?”

The survey says families with K-12 kids will, on average, spend almost $900 on back-to-school shopping, which is about $25 more than last year. And it’s even more for college students.

With numbers like those, families might have to decide which supplies their kids really need the most.