Nearly one-third (31%) of U.S. adults doing back-to-school shopping this year are going into debt to pay for it (or already have), up from 29% in 2022. That includes 24% who are using credit cards and carrying balances, and 13% who are using buy now, pay later services like Affirm or Klarna. Nearly half (46%) of back-to-school shoppers are employing strategies to save money this year, like seeking out more deals or coupons than they did in the past (28%), buying cheaper brands (21%), or buying fewer school supplies than they did in previous years due to the cost (19%). 14% of people feel pressured to spend more on school shopping than they're comfortable with, while 18% say school shopping did or will strain their budget this year.