Answer: $1,355 (here's a list of the required supplies and common fees that go into the index)

Questions:

• What do you think are the largest back-to-school costs for high school students (required supplies and common fees only)?
• How much do you think you/your parents spent on required supplies and common fees (e.g., sport participation and college prep. fees)? 
• What has been the trend over the past few years for high school students when it comes to back-to-school costs?   

Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (from AZ Central): 

Back-to-school supply lists can be long — folders, glue sticks, pencils, notebooks. Not to mention new school uniforms and items needed for baseball practice, cheerleading or glee club. Shopping carts brim with goods this time of year, and they often come with a hefty price tag. Although families across the nation can still expect to pay several hundred dollars per student for school supplies and activities this year, there's some good news.

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Here's an engaging budgeting activity that is a teacher favorite at FinCamps: Budgeting with Roommates. 

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.