The average American family will spend about $600 each year on school supplies.
But let's think back to 1999. In '99 stamps cost 33 cents, a dozen eggs cost 89 cents and a loaf of bread was $1.49.
For one Quad Cities mom shopping for school supplies, her tactic was to shop at a bigger store with more variety.
"It helps the kids have a choice of different colors, different styles, and I can kind of point them in the direction of what I can afford," she said.
Some of the hottest items then were fur-covered notebooks, gel ink pens, and dry highlighters that could be erased just like pencil.
Her total ended up being $100.