September: A Costly Month for Families' Budgets
Listen to the story
Every September, many families feel stressed about their budget. The start of the new school year, known as the back-to-school period, brings extra costs for parents. Buying school supplies for children can be expensive, and this puts pressure on family finances.
A new report has looked at where families can spend less money on school shopping. It compared prices in supermarkets, hypermarkets, and specialized shops that only sell school items. The report aims to help parents find the best deals before the school year begins.
According to the study, prices can vary a lot between different types of shops. This means that choosing the right shop could help families save a noticeable amount of money during this expensive period.
The report also looked at how parents feel about school supplies. Almost nine out of ten parents said that having good school supplies helps their child feel more confident. Many parents see school items, like bags, pens, and notebooks, as more than just practical tools. They believe these items can affect how children feel about themselves at school.
This shows that back-to-school shopping is not only about money. It is also connected to children's self-esteem and how they start the new school year. For many families, finding affordable options while still buying quality items has become an important goal every September.
Vocabulary11 words
- stressed
- feeling worried or under pressure
- back-to-school
- the time when children return to school after summer
- supermarket
- a large shop selling food and other goods
- hypermarket
- a very large supermarket with many different products
- deal
- a good price or offer
- save
- to keep money instead of spending it
- confident
- feeling sure and good about yourself
- self-esteem
- how much you value and like yourself
- specialized shop
- a shop that sells only one kind of product
- affordable
- not too expensive
- budget
- the amount of money you can spend
Quiz
Answer key
1. Back-to-school costs 2. Prices at different types of shops 3. Children's confidence
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Every September, many families feel _____ about their budget. The start of the new school year, known as the _____ period, brings extra costs for parents.
A new report has looked at where families can spend less money on school shopping. It compared prices in supermarkets, _____, and specialized shops that only sell school items.
According to the study, prices can vary a lot between different types of shops. This means that choosing the right shop could help families _____ a noticeable amount of money.
Almost nine out of ten parents said that having good school supplies helps their child feel more _____.
This shows that back-to-school shopping is not only about money. It is also connected to children's _____ and how they start the new school year.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think September is an expensive month for many families?
- Do you think the type of shop really changes how much people spend? Why or why not?
- Do you agree that school supplies can affect a child's confidence? Explain your opinion.
- What advice would you give parents who want to save money on school shopping?