WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Stores across the Cape Fear will be busy this weekend as families stock up on school supplies, from notebooks and pencils to clothing and shoes, in preparation for the new school year.

According to the National Retail Federation, families with students in elementary through high school spend an average of about $875 per child.

Shopper Leah Myers has two children … and says it’s important to make sure what you buy now will last the entire school year.

“School supplies for the first week or so are one thing, but making them last all year is difficult, especially with clothes and shoes, and you know how tough they are, and everything has to be designed to last and be durable,” Myers said. “So quality is just as important as price.”

State Attorney General Josh Stein said reinstating North Carolina’s tax-free weekend would provide some relief for both parents and teachers.

“I want to make it a little more affordable for people to get their kids ready for school in a time of higher costs,” Stein said. “So if we have a weekend where sales tax isn’t applicable, we can allow parents to watch their kids and we can help teachers get their classrooms ready.”

Even college students like Tema Jimenez and Mia Thompson have felt the financial burden of back-to-school shopping.

“I would say it’s more expensive now because we want more clothes, more choice and shoes and just want to be fashionable, you know,” Jimenez said.

“Yes, and the basics are definitely still more expensive. For example, I just wanted to get notebooks and other things for class, and I feel like everything has gone up a few dollars,” Thompson said. “I just can’t find the things at the regular price anymore.”

According to the National Retail Federation, total back-to-school spending is expected to reach nearly $39 billion nationwide this year.