WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Prince William County, Alexandria City Schools and Fairfax County students began the 2023-2024 school year Monday, and major retailers continue to offer discounts and tools to make the shopping process easier.

It’s expected to be a record start of the school year as supply sales are expected to exceed $41.5 billion nationwide, according to the National Retail Federation.

The NRF also said households without college students will spend nearly $900 on average for essentials, adding that the uptick in demand for tech largely contributing to the trend.

Some consumer advocates urge parents to consider what their child needs, and not always what they want in order to save some cash. Families can also consider recycling unused supplies from the previous school year, if available.

Among major retails still offering deals are Amazon and Walmart. Both retailers categorize essentials by grade level on their websites.

Among deals promoted to entice consumers to spend, Amazon is listing a 45-piece bundle set of supplies at $18.79.

Walmart promotions include items for less than 50 cents, or under $5.

Target also offers competitive deals and includes an interactive tool to search for existing supply lists at certain local schools. Consumers can search for their school via zip codes in Target’s School List Assist.

For tech deals, Time Magazine says consumers can access Back Market for savings up to 70% on refurbished laptops, $100 markdowns or more at Best Buy for certain products and over 20% off Amazon Fire tablets and Samsung phones.

Families can consider local libraries to access computers and Wifi for necessary tech assignments. In addition, online community forums allow people to ask neighbors if they have supplies to spare.