Gasoline, school supplies and food: a return from the holidays

Italian families face a challenging return from summer holidays, with rising fuel prices, increased school supplies costs and higher food expenses creating financial strain. The situation has led to a complex balancing act for households, which are already adjusting their budgets due to inflation and energy price hikes. The main driver of this financial pressure comes from the sharp increase in fuel costs. According to the Codacons consumer association, the additional expense related to refueling vehicles alone could reach around €430 million compared to the previous departure period in 2025. This adds to existing difficulties with road infrastructure, further burdening family budgets upon returning home after the holiday season. At the same time, parents are dealing with the rising cost of school supplies. Estimates suggest that each student's expenses for books and educational materials could range up to €1,300. Prices have risen by between 2% and 4% for stationery items, while textbooks have seen an increase of 1.8%. Trendy or branded products, such as technological gadgets and fashion accessories, have pushed some items to record highs, contributing to the overall rise in spending. However, not all organizations share the same level of concern. The Italian Book Sellers Union, part of Confesercenti, has downplayed these figures. Its president, Antonio Terzi, pointed out that suggesting a major financial hit based on expensive branded backpacks priced up to €1,000 is akin to claiming ice cream is a luxury item because some people buy it with gold-sprinkled cones. The impact of these unavoidable expenses, such as housing, utilities, healthcare, transport and insurance, is significant. These essential costs account for nearly half of total household consumption, according to Confcommercio. That figure has grown slightly over the past few decades, increasing from 37% in 1995 to just under 42% today, with an overall rise of almost five percentage points. Consumer confidence appears to be affected as well. While the Istat reported a slight improvement in confidence during August, data from the Federconsumatori observatory suggests this trend may reverse quickly. Rising costs across multiple sectors, fuel, education, energy and groceries, are forcing families to change their habits. Already, there are signs of reduced meat and fish consumption by 16.9%, with more than half of citizens actively seeking out discounted goods or near-expiry products. Spending at discount stores has also increased by 12.2%. As the new academic year begins, families continue to navigate these financial challenges, making adjustments to their daily routines and shopping behaviors in response to ongoing inflation pressures. The coming months will likely see continued efforts to manage these rising costs, with many households looking for ways to stretch their budgets further.