{"id":70172,"date":"2026-09-08T15:39:18","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T20:39:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/?post_type=newsroom&p=70172"},"modified":"2026-09-08T15:39:20","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T20:39:20","slug":"budgeting-for-the-school-year","status":"publish","type":"newsroom","link":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/newsroom\/financial-confidence\/budgeting-for-the-school-year\/","title":{"rendered":"The First Bell Rang. The Spending Didn’t Stop. H&R Block Helps Families Manage the Hidden Costs of the School Year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u00a0Put budgeting tools to work. Spruce can help families track spending, organize their money, and stay on top of financial goals as the school year gets underway<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KANSAS CITY, Mo. \u2014 Sept. 8, 2026 \u2014<\/strong> As back-to-school season ramps up, H&R Block (NYSE: HRB), a global leader in tax preparation services, and provider of year-round support in financial services and small business solutions, is stepping in with practical tips and financial tools families need to shop smart, stretch their dollars, and enter the new school year on solid financial footing.  Using budgeting tools by Spruce<\/a>, the mobile banking app built by H&R Block 1<\/sup><\/em>, can help families make a saving plan for future expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“After summer travel and back-to-school spending, fall is the perfect moment for a financial reset,” said John Thompson, Vice President, Financial Services at H&R Block. “The ongoing costs of the school year add up fast, and Spruce puts real budgeting tools directly in families’ hands so they can track spending and stay on top of their goals.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Families were targeted to spend an average of approximately $860 on back-to-school shopping trips this year, up slightly from the average in 2025, according to the National Retail Federation. And the spending doesn’t stop there.<\/sup><\/em>

With a little planning, families can handle back-to-school spending and keep their financial health strong. Spruce has easy budgeting tools like a budget tracker tool<\/a>, a savings calculator<\/a>, personalized saving goals<\/a>, \u201cRound Up<\/a>\u201d savings, and a savings interest calculator<\/a> to help track finances, automate savings, and set spending levels by category, all while earning a 3.50% APY 2<\/sup><\/em> on savings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To explore Spruce\u2019s full lineup of budgeting and savings features, visit sprucemoney.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 <\/sup>Spruce fintech platform is built by H&R Block, which is not a bank. Spruce\u2120 Spending and Savings Accounts established at, and debit card issued by, Pathward\u00ae, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to license by Mastercard\u00ae. Mastercard and the circles design are registered trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2<\/sup>The Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of 08\/05\/2026. This rate is variable and can change without notice. Spruce Savings Accounts opened prior to July 17, 2025 may be required to opt in through the Spruce app or at sprucemoney.com to start earning interest.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 ###<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About H&R Block<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) provides help and inspires confidence in its clients and communities everywhere through global tax preparation services<\/a>, financial products<\/a>, and small business solutions<\/a>. Named CNET\u2019s Best Overall online tax service for 2026, the company blends digital innovation with human expertise and care as it helps people get the best outcome at tax time and also be better with money using its mobile banking app, Spruce<\/a>. Through Block Advisors<\/a> and Wave<\/a>, the company helps small-business owners thrive with year-round bookkeeping, payroll, advisory, and payment processing solutions. For more information, visit H&R Block News<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0Put budgeting tools to work. Spruce can help families track spending, organize their money, and stay on top of financial goals as the school year gets underway KANSAS CITY, Mo. \u2014 Sept. 8, 2026 \u2014 As back-to-school season ramps up, H&R Block (NYSE: HRB), a global leader in tax preparation services, and provider of year-round […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":70173,"menu_order":0,"template":"","tags":[],"news-categories":[23339,23341],"class_list":["post-70172","newsroom","type-newsroom","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-categories-financial-confidence","news-categories-company-news"],"acf":{"post_rest_thumbnail_alt_id":""},"yoast_head":"Budgeting for the School Year | H&R Block News Center<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As back-to-school season ramps up, H&R Block is stepping in with practical tips and financial tools families need to shop smart, stretch their dollars, and enter the new school year on solid financial footing. 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