Shopping Smart for Back to School

NEWS. TEDDY BURN. >> IN LESS THAN ONE MONTH, STUDENTS IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WHO WILL BE HEADING BACK TO CLASS AND FOR PARENTS. THAT MEANS BACK TO SCHOOL SHOPPING. THE NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION SAYS HOUSEHOLDS ARE EXPECTED TO SPEND OVER 800 AND $50,000 ON SCHOOL SUPPLIES. MOST OF THE COST IS GOING TO CLOTHING AND SHOES. WGCU REPORTER YOUN JOO PARK STOP BY IN LEHIGH ACRES, GOODWILL WHERE AN EVENT IS DESIGNED TO EASE THE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF SENDING CHILDREN BACK TO SCHOOL. >> THE SCHOOL YEARS LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY. >> BUT BACK TO SCHOOL SHOPPING IS ALREADY CREATING FOOT TRAFFIC AND GOODWILL STORES ACROSS SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. WE METS NEVAEH CHAMPION AT THE GOODWILL STORE AND LEHIGH ACRES AS EVERYTHING HEARS WAY. HAVE THE COSTS. >> THE SHOES. I GOT WORD LET ALONE $100 CHEAPER AND THE SHIRTS RATHER THAN PAY 15, $20 FOR THE UNDER ARMOUR TYPE OF SHIRTS. THEY'RE ONLY 5, $4 HERE. >> 6 YEARS AGO, EMPLOYEES AT GOODWILL SAY THEY WERE SEARCHING TO MEET A NEED IN THE COMMUNITY WITH DONATIONS DROPPED OFF AT THEIR SITES. THE RESULT AN ANNUAL BACK-TO-SCHOOL SHOPPING EVENT THEY EMPLOY SAY IT IS ONE OF THE BUSIEST WEEKENDS IN MID-JULY AND SAY THE RIGHT RIDE, A BACK-TO-SCHOOL EVENT IDENTITY RIGHT UP THERE. YES, THAT'S RHONDA ADAMS AND SAMANTHA SANDLIN WHO HAVE BEEN PLANNING THIS EVENT SINCE LAST NOVEMBER. THEY SAY THAT SOUTHWEST FLORIDA'S SEASONAL RESIDENTS OR SNOWBIRDS DROP OFF PLENTY OF SUPPLIES WHEN LEAVING TOWN IN THE LATE SPRING TIME. NO NEW YEAR NEW YOU. YOU CLEAN OUT THE HOUSE. SHE RID OF ALL YOUR STUFF. IT BRINGS TO US. >> SAME WITH OF THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. YOUR KIDS, IF YOU'RE OUT GROWN. SO YOU'RE GETTING READY FOR THE NEXT YEAR. SO THEY BRING US THAT. THAT WAS ALSO THE SPRING CLEANING. WE BENEFIT ON A LOT OF THOSE DONATIONS. >> THESE ITEMS ALLOWED FOR A GOOD REUSE OF MATERIALS THAT NEED A SECOND HOME, ACCORDING TO GOODWILL'S. DEBORAH DID NOT SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT. THAT'S HUGE. WE'VE BEEN RECYCLING BEFORE. RECYCLING WAS COOL. >> YEAH, IT'S BEEN AROUND SINCE 19. 0, 2. AND SO WE SAVED ABOUT 38 MILLION POUNDS OF GOODS FROM GOING INTO LOCAL LANDFILLS JUST HERE IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. >> GENTLY RECYCLED GOODS. PLUS LOW PRICES IS AN EQUATION THAT MAKES PARENTS LIKE CHAMPION. HAPPY. >> I HAVE 3 KIDS AND SHOPPING OBVIOUSLY IT'S EXPENSIVE. SO TRYING TO GET A BANG FOR MY BUCK. SHE IS FOLLOW KIDS. AND SOME SCHOOL CLOTHES AND THEY HAVE AMAZING UNIFORMS AND MANY OPTIONS. IT'S WAY CHEAPER THAN IN THE STORES. ONE ITEM THAT SELLS OUT FIRST AT GOODWILL STORES >> SHOES SALMAN SAYS THAT'S BECAUSE PARENTS ARE TRYING TO CATCH OPT TO FIND SHOES. >> THAT THAT THEIR KIDS GROWING FEET SITES TO GET. I WILL NOT GO SPEND $65 ON A BRAND NEW PAIR OF SHOES AND MY KIDS ARE GOING TO USE AND ABUSE THE FIRST 3 WEEKS OF SCHOOL. >> WHEN WE COME HERE TO GET THE SAME EXACT SAME A $10 FOR NOW. >> IF YOU'RE A PAIR OF THE SHOES AND THE NUMBERS, THOUGH, LESS THAN WHAT I PAY FOR ONE PAIR SHOES AT THEM. A STORY. THE GOODWILL STAFF ALL SAY ITS MISSION IS TO ALLEVIATE THE FINANCIAL BURDEN ON PARENTS BY PROVIDING AFFORDABLE OPTIONS. AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES THIS BACK-TO-SCHOOL EVENT SO POPULAR. >> ALL RIGHT THERE. SO THEY'RE GOOD FOR EVERYBODY IN THE WHOLE FAMILY. THIS ONE ARE REALLY PUSHING FOR THOSE CHILDREN SIZES TOGETHER, NEW DEPOSITS AND SHOWS WE'VE GOT A LIKE. >> WORK ON I MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY BECAUSE A LOT OF HIGH SCHOOLS DON'T GIVE A UNIFIER. AND SO THIS SHOPPING TRIP IS A VICTORY FOR CHAMPION WHO NEEDS TO BUY HER DAUGHTER'S UNIFORM. >> FOR HER, IT'S HELPFUL BECAUSE SHE IS THE ONE WHO WANTS TO CHANGE HER OUTFIT 5 TIMES SOUTH, GETTING READY IN THE MORNING. DEFINITELY HELPS WITH YOU TO VOTE FOR HER SPECIFICALLY. >> AS PARENTS PREPARE FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR. PARENTS SAY THEY ARE RELIEVED THEY CAN CROSS THINGS OFF THEIR SHOPPING LIST EARLY WHILE HAVING MORE DOLLARS LEFT TO IN THEIR WALLETS FOR WGCU NEWS ON YOUN JOO PARK. >> AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING