Back-to-school season can be an exciting time for families, but it can also bring a new wave of expenses. From school supplies and clothing to technology, extracurricular activities, childcare, and transportation, the costs can quickly add up.
According to the National Retail Federation, families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $863.86 on back-to-school items in 2026, with total K-12 spending expected to reach a record $43.3 billion. With affordability top of mind, many families are looking for ways to make their budgets stretch further.
For employees, these seasonal expenses can make it challenging to balance immediate financial needs with everyday household costs and long-term financial goals. HR-supported benefits can give employees the tools and resources they need to prepare for seasonal expenses while staying focused on their broader financial wellbeing.
Understanding the Financial Impact of Seasonal Expenses
Back-to-school expenses are often just one part of a much larger financial picture.
Employees may also be managing:
- Household bills
- Childcare costs
- Debt payments
- Healthcare expenses
- Emergency savings
- Retirement contributions
When several financial priorities compete for the same paycheck, even predictable expenses can create stress.
Recent research highlights just how significant these pressures can be. A 2025 NerdWallet survey found that 56% of parents of K-12 or college students said back-to-school season was financially stressful for their family. For many employees, the challenge is not simply preparing for these expenses but balancing them alongside everything else.
Seasonal expenses may happen every year, but that does not necessarily make them easier to manage. Employees may need to:
- Adjust their spending
- Rework their budgets
- Prioritize expenses
- Delay savings goals
For many families, preparing for back-to-school season means making decisions about where their money goes and what can wait. Financial wellbeing support can help employees plan for predictable expenses instead of feeling like they have to react when those expenses arrive.
How HR-Supported Benefits Can Help Employees Prepare
HR-supported financial benefits can help employees prepare for seasonal expenses by providing resources that make financial planning more accessible.
This may include:
- Budgeting and financial planning tools
- Savings resources
- Buy now pay later programs
- Financial education
- Personalized financial guidance
The goal is not simply to help employees manage one expensive season. It is to provide resources they can use to make informed financial decisions throughout the year.
Employers can make financial wellness benefits more useful by:
- Communicating resources clearly
- Connecting benefits to relevant life events
- Making tools easy to access
- Providing resources to manage real life needs
- Providing guidance throughout the year
When employees can see how their benefits apply to real financial moments in their lives, they are more likely to view those benefits as practical resources rather than something they only think about during open enrollment.
Making Financial Support More Relevant to Employees
Employees have different financial priorities depending on their circumstances and life stages.
For example, parents may be managing school and childcare costs. Younger employees may be balancing student debt and building emergency savings. Older employees may be focused on retirement readiness and healthcare expenses.
The most effective financial wellness programs recognize that employees do not all need the same type of support at the same time. Offering relevant resources allows employees to focus on the tools that best fit their current financial needs.
Financial benefits are more likely to be useful when employees can easily connect them to the financial decisions they are making today. The more relevant financial support feels to an employee’s actual life, the easier it is for them to take action and build healthier financial habits.
Beyond Back-to-School: Supporting Employees Through Seasonal Expenses Year-Round
Back-to-school season is just one of many predictable financial moments employees may face throughout the year.
Other examples include:
- Vacation spending
- Summer childcare
- Annual insurance expenses
- Tax-related costs
- Holidays and family events
- Unexpected household expenses
- Home and auto maintenance
Providing financial wellbeing support throughout the year can help employees prepare for these moments before they arrive.
It also reinforces an important message: financial wellness is not just about long-term planning. It is about helping employees feel more confident navigating the financial decisions and expenses they face in everyday life.
How BenefitsMe Helps Employees Navigate Financial Needs
BenefitsMe helps employers provide practical financial wellness support that employees can use to navigate real-world financial needs.
Through solutions designed to help employees better understand their financial picture, plan for upcoming expenses, manage household budgets, access price–prohibitive productsaccess needed products affordably, and make informed decisions, BenefitsMe helps employees address both short-term needs and long-term goals.
For employers, this means providing benefits that can connect with employees’ everyday financial lives throughout the year.
Helping Employees Prepare for What Comes Next
Back-to-school season is a reminder that financial wellbeing is not just about preparing for the future. It is also about helping employees feel prepared for the financial decisions and expenses happening right now.
HR-supported benefits can give employees the tools and resources they need to:
- Manage short-term expenses
- Make confident financial decisions
- Build healthy financial habits
- Stay focused on long-term goals
BenefitsMe helps employers make financial wellness more practical and approachable, giving employees support as they navigate expected and unexpected finances.
Ready to build a financial wellness program that supports every generation in your workforce? Connect with our team today.
Sources
Bank of America. 2025 Workplace Benefits Report. 2025, https://institute.bankofamerica.com/transformation/workplace-benefits-report-2025.html.
National Retail Federation. “Majority of Back-to-School Shoppers Get a Head Start on the Season.” 2026, https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/majority-of-back-to-school-shoppers-get-a-head-start-on-the-season.
NerdWallet. “2025 Back-to-School Shopping Report.” 2025, https://www.nerdwallet.com/finance/studies/2025-back-to-school-shopping-report.
SHRM and Raymond James. 2026 Financial Wellness Research. 2026, https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/research/the-state-of-financial-wellness–challenges-gaps-opportunities.