Some families taking road trips to get best prices on back-to-school supplies

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — Back-to-school shopping means some families are taking a road trip to get supplies.

So where should Washingtonians spend their hard-earned money when it comes to back-to-school shopping?

“I have definitely noticed that our budget doesn’t go very far,” said Federal Way mother Tracy Ritter.

Families are feeling inflation.

“Have things gotten more expensive? And the answer is: absolutely,” said Tracy.

KIRO 7 crunched some numbers to find out if it’s worth making the trek down to Portland to take advantage of tax-free shopping.

(It’s) a crazy big difference,” said Tracy’s daughter, student Kat Ritter.

That’s what Kat does with her mom and sister for back-to-school shopping every year.

“I want to look, like, fresh,” said Kat.

She’s about to be a senior at Fife High School.

The perks of Portland?

“One: no tax, and two, you know, you find clothes that you wouldn’t find here. So, you look different, right?” said Kat.

Some of her favorite finds?

“OK, so the first dress that I got was this beautiful green,” she said.

Plus, the essentials.

“With my senior year, the tradition is the senior silly backpack. I have Kenny from South Park because he is my absolute favorite character,” said Kat.

They spent $219. The tax savings? About $22.

So, if you’re purely crunching numbers, the drive is 300 miles or 12 gallons of gas – about $50.

Then there’s $40 for lunch, plus the time: at least five hours in the car.

That means if you’re spending $1,000 and don’t mind the drive, that’s when a shopping trip to Portland makes financial sense.

But the Ritters say that’s not factoring in the element of joy.

“We love road trips,” said Kat.

“It was so fun. We’re cranking up the music they want to listen to, and they’re just belting and singing and they’re dancing,” said Tracy.

The whole time, the Ritters keep in mind tried and true money-saving tips like shopping the deepest sales first.

“It’s the clearance section first, and then you can venture out,” said Kat.

“I’ve taught my girls well,” said Tracy.

Plus, setting and sticking to a budget.

“My mom gives me $100 from her to spend for me and then whatever money I have,” said Kat.

" I remember when I was a girl, my mom would take me and my sisters out. We each had a budget,” said Tracy.

And now the tradition lives on with the Portland road trip twist.

“It’s one of the highlights of my summer,” said Kat.

“Seeing the joy on my daughters’ faces, and just having that quality time with them makes it worth it every single year,” said Tracy.

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