返校季，你的钱包准备好了吗？

家长们感到压力，要为开学季花更多的钱

It’s time for back-to-school shopping, a period that is starting to catch up with the Christmas holiday shopping season as a reason for angst.

又到了返校购物的时候了，这段时间开始赶上圣诞假期购物季，成为人们焦虑的原因。

As retailers are understandably crowing about what seems to be shaping up as another record-setting back-to-school shopping season, a growing number of Americans say they are participating in this spending spree only under pressure.

零售商们为即将到来的又一个创纪录的返校购物季而欢呼雀跃，这是可以理解的。与此同时，越来越多的美国人表示，他们只是在压力之下才参与了这场购物狂欢。

The National Retail Federation reports that families with children in elementary school through high school plan to spend an average $696.70 to get their kids ready to learn — fashionably, and with the latest gadgets at their disposal. That’s up from $684.79 last year and tops the previous record of $687.72 set in 2017.

美国零售联合会报告说，有从小学到高中孩子的家庭计划平均花费696.70美元，让他们的孩子准备好学习——既时尚，又可以使用最新的小器具。这一数字高于去年的684.79美元，也打破了2017年创下的687.72美元的纪录。

Families with college students are expected to spend an average $976.78, which is up from last year’s $942.17 and tops the previous record of $969.88 set in 2017.

预计大学生家庭平均消费976.78美元，高于去年的942.17美元，也打破了2017年创下的969.88美元的纪录。

Total spending for K-12 schools and college combined is projected to reach $80.7 billion, down from last year’s $82.8 billion, largely because of the decreased number of households with children in elementary through high school.

K-12学校和大学的总支出预计将达到807亿美元，低于去年的828亿美元，这主要是因为小学到高中的儿童家庭数量的减少。

A July survey conducted by the NRF revealed that clothing and accessories will top K-12 families’ expenses at an average $239.82, followed by electronics such as computers, calculators and phones ($203.44); shoes ($135.96); and supplies such as notebooks, pencils, backpacks and lunch boxes ($117.49). K-12 families plan to do most of their shopping at department stores (53 percent), discount stores (50 percent), online (49 percent), clothing stores (45 percent) and office supply stores (31 percent).

美国零售联合会(NRF) 7月份进行的一项调查显示，服装和配饰将成为K-12家庭支出最多的商品，平均为239.82美元，其次是电脑、计算器和电话等电子产品(203.44美元);鞋子(135.96美元);以及笔记本、铅笔、背包和午餐盒等用品(117.49美元)。K-12家庭计划在百货公司(53%)、折扣店(50%)、网上(49%)、服装店(45%)和办公用品店(31%)购买大部分商品。

Among K-12 shoppers, teens are expected to spend an average $36.71 of their own money, up from $30.88 10 years ago, while pre-teens should spend $26.40, up from $11.94 ten years ago.

在K-12年龄段的消费者中，预计青少年将平均花费36.71美元，高于10年前的30.88美元，而10年前的11.94美元应该是26.40美元。

And while the added spending may make retailers happy, many shoppers aren’t so thrilled.

虽然增加的消费可能会让零售商感到高兴，但许多购物者并不那么兴奋。

A recent YouGov survey commissioned by Bankrate.com found that more than 4 in 10 parents (43 percent) who have gone back-to-school shopping have felt pressured to overspend. This includes 51 percent who currently have children under the age of 18.

最近由Bankrate.com委托YouGov进行的一项调查发现，超过四成(43%)的返校购物家长感到压力过大。其中51%的人目前有18岁以下的孩子。

Meanwhile, a previous Bankrate.com survey found that 57 percent of parents with children under the age of 18 who give gifts during the holiday season have felt pressured to overspend on presents.

与此同时，Bankrate.com之前的一项调查发现，在孩子不满18岁的父母中，57%的人在节日期间送礼时感到压力过大，不得不在礼物上过度消费。

Millennial parents (ages 23-38) are the most likely to have felt the squeeze. Fifty-six percent of millennial parents who have gone back-to-school shopping say they have felt pressured to spend more than they’re comfortable with, compared to 39 percent of older parents.

千禧一代的父母(23-38岁)最有可能感到压力。56%回到学校购物的千禧一代父母表示，他们感到压力过大，花的钱超过了自己的承受能力，而在年龄较大的父母中，这一比例为39%。

“This is the first time we’re studying this aspect of back-to-school spending, but my educated guess is that the perceived pressure to overspend is on the rise,” said Bankrate.com analyst Ted Rossman. “As our study shows, millennials are about 3.5 times as likely to feel pressure to overspend. Of course, this whole notion of overspending is in the eye of the beholder.”

Bankrate.com的分析师泰德·罗斯曼说:“这是我们第一次研究返校消费的这个方面，但我有根据的猜测是，过度消费的压力正在上升。”“正如我们的研究显示，千禧一代感到过度消费压力的可能性是其他人的3.5倍。当然，这种过度消费的概念是因人而异的。”

He added that back-to-school has taken on a broader definition.

他补充说，返校有了更广泛的定义。

“Today we’re not just talking about pencils and school supplies per se, but also about a broad array of clothes, accessories and electronics.”

“今天，我们谈论的不仅是铅笔和学校用品本身，还有一系列的服装、配饰和电子产品。”