Dynamic Living Costs Prompt Parents to Budget More Carefully for Children's School Needs

The school holiday period is not only a time for children to rest and enjoy time with family, but also a crucial period for parents to begin preparing for the new academic year. Various necessities such as notebooks, stationery, school bags, shoes, and other supporting equipment begin to feature on household shopping lists. Amidst dynamic living costs, many families are required to be more careful in managing their expenditure so that their children’s educational needs are still met. A global survey by KPMG noted that many parents anticipate an increase in the budget for school supplies compared to the previous year. This situation is making some families increasingly selective in planning purchases, including comparing prices and seeking shopping venues deemed more efficient. Dita Widya, a housewife from Bekasi, West Java, admitted she has started compiling a budget for her children’s school needs since the beginning of the school holidays. As a mother of three children at different educational levels, she must ensure every need is met without disrupting other household expenditure items. She said that one of the challenges ahead of the new school year is keeping spending in line with the plan that has been made. In this process, she often compares the prices of school supplies at several places before shopping. According to Dita, price certainty is one of the factors that helps her manage the family budget. ‘If I recall, the price of the school supplies I bought for the older sibling last year is still the same as the price of the supplies I bought for the younger one this year. For mothers like me, that is very helpful because it makes it easier to manage the shopping budget. When we know the price remains the same and hasn’t gone up, it feels more reassuring when shopping,’ said Dita. She added that price stability helps her estimate shopping needs without having to worry about sudden increases during the school preparation process. Besides price, the convenience of getting various school needs in one place is also a consideration for some parents. The items sought generally include shoes and socks, notebooks, stationery, school bags, as well as drawing and colouring equipment that can also be used by children during the holidays. Suryani, a resident of Lampung, said that items like school socks must be bought regularly due to high usage intensity and children’s rapid growth. According to her, the ease of obtaining various supplies in one location makes the shopping process more practical. Siti Khadijah, a resident of Medan, shared a similar view, assessing that the variety of stationery products is a consideration when shopping for her children’s school needs. Ahead of the new school year, various retailers are also presenting school supply programmes to help families meet their children’s educational needs. Through its Back-To-School programme, MR.D.I.Y. Indonesia is offering various school supplies with discounts of up to 50 percent. This programme is intended to help families prepare for the new academic year more efficiently amidst rising household needs.