"I hate Back-to-School shopping," she says. "It's a terrible experience."

"Outside of the (school) supply list, there really isn't anything we ask of the families. You choose whether to take part. Everything is optional. Some families don't but that doesn't mean their kids don't take part (in the field trips)," she says.

PARENTS don't need to take out a second mortgage to fund their kids' back-to-school shopping, but that doesn't mean it's cheap.