The National Retail Federation trade group predicts that families in the U.S. with school-aged children will spend an average of $634.78 on shoes, clothes, supplies and electronics.stevanovicigor/Getty Images/iStockphoto
The best of the web on money, markets and all things financial, as chosen daily by Globe and Mail personal finance columnist Rob Carrick.
How much dough do you blow on your kids?
This online quiz will tell you how free-spending you are with your kids.
Making sense of the markets
A fascinating collection of historical charts that offer clues about what might happen with inflation, the stock markets and bonds.
The cost of suburban sprawl
This infographic shows the cost of pouring money into the suburbs, where many people choose to live to take advantage of lower housing costs. Here's my own take on the cost of living in the suburbs.
It's Apple season
A good breakdown of what's new and interesting about the latest generation of iPad products from Apple.
More money
Join the 32,000+ people who subscribe to my Facebook personal finance community for talk about investing, retirement, real estate, banking and other financial matters. I'm also on Twitter.
Rob Carrick