GREEN BAY, Wis.— Stacey Burkhart’s children may have to sacrifice style for practicality this upcoming school year.

“Everything has to be the right color and the right design and style,” Burkhart said about her kids’ taste in school supplies.

The Pulaski-area mother said inflation made money tighter than it already was for her family. That means back-to-school shopping will be a little different this year.

“Do you go with the washable markers, as the teacher suggested, or do you get what you can afford?” she said.

Burkhart said those are the types of tough questions she’ll be asking herself this year.

She won’t be alone. The National Retail Federation, a retail trade group, released data that showed parents were cutting spending in other areas, so they can afford back-to-school shopping. Back-to-school spending could come close to 2021’s record-breaking year. Families spent $37 billion on school supplies, according to the NRF.

Tom Sieber owns School House, a school supply store in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He said he’s already raised prices to keep up with inflation.

“Unfortunately, the school supply industry has not been immune to inflation— like much or all of the sectors across the economy been hit with it,” Sieber said. “Higher prices, unfortunately, but we’re doing our best to keep them lower.”

Burkhart said back-to-school expenses will be tough to manage. She said she’ll have to be smart with her money.

“You’re just much more conscious of the purchases that you’re making so that your children can be cared for and so that they can get what they need and that you’re not freaking out paycheck to paycheck,” she said.