VIDEO: Save on back to school shopping at second-hand stores

(NBC) - NBC'S Vicky Nguyen reports on ways to save on back to school shopping at second hand stores.

In today's consumer confidential, back to school shopping may be taking a bigger toll on family budgets this year with decades-high inflation.

Buying second hand may be the way to go to save money,

NBC News Senior consumer investigative correspondent Vicky Nguyen did her homework with a look at what to buy used and where.

As students return to the classroom, parents are already doing the math.

A recent survey finding families plan to spend about 864 dollars on back-to-school shopping.

To make it work some are turning to the secondhand market.

"I want parents to know that it is okay to thrift shop" says Anne Garcia.

Anne Garcia, a mother of two in Queens, New York began thrifting during the pandemic.

She says shopping secondhand helped her stretch her family's dollars without sacrificing stye.

Especially important to her 10-year-old daughter with a passion for fashion.

"She's actually been looking for back to school clothes because we plan ahead" Anne Garcia mentions.

Garcia, part of the nearly 60% (58%) of consumers who found secondhand savings during inflation.

Online clothing thrifting company Thredup says the re-sale market saw record-growth (31%) last year and will likely reach 82 billion dollars by 2026 in the U.S.

And shoppers like that it's eco-friendly to buy what's already out there.

"Our younger shoppers particularly are telling us I want to buy clothing that's good for the planet, I don't want to be part of the fashion waste problem, but I also want to save money" says ThredUp President Anthony Marino.

Laila Ruzika co-owns "Plato's Closet" in Middletown, New Jersey.

It's a national resale store for teens "Plato's Closet" sources 95% of its inventory from the local community.

Secondhand stores like this, Buffalo exchange, crossroads and local thrift shops offer a two-fer.

You can save on clothes, shoes, even backpacks and make money on gently-used items.

"So factory shutdowns, overseas supply chain issues at the ports...none of that affected you?" asks Nguyen.

"Exactly. And If anything, our inventory has actually grown a lot because customers do need cash in their pockets," answers Plato's Closet co-owner Laila Ruzika.

Shoppers can score bargains on back-to-school basics like denim.

If your shopping list includes electronics, you can shop used from places like Swappa, Best Buy or Amazon.

Just make sure purchases come with a warranty.

For a secondhand computer, wipe the hard drive before using it and for a smartphone, ask the seller for the international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) number, so you can check with your carrier to see if the phone is eligible for activation.

For college students who need furniture, try Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and Kaiyo.

Before buying, check for recalls on the consumer product safety commission's website, a cheat sheet for finding savings.