Tips for smart back-to-school shopping

The best strategy for back-to-school shopping? Get organized, stock up on the basics, and look for sales and promotions.

Make a list and get your child involved.

Use the supply list from your child's school or teacher as a starting point. If you don't have a list yet, check with parents at your school who have older kids. They might have good advice about what is needed in your child's grade. Sit down with your child and go over your list together. You'll be teaching them how to get organized, a skill that applies to more than shopping.

Give kids a budget.

Kids can be unwilling to reuse last year's backpack or lunchbox. Maybe they are begging for a fancy new binder that everyone has this year. If this attitude is getting in the way of your efforts to save money on school supplies, give kids a budget. Tell them that you will spend a certain amount on an item, if they want an upgrade they'll need to chip in. Or let kids choose which items to reuse and which to buy new. It will help your child set priorities, learn how to manage money, and start saving his allowance for the items your budget won't allow.

Start early and look for bargains throughout the summer.

The best bargains are often available at back-to-school sales. Keep an eye out for sales and deals advertised in the newspaper and online. Stores will try to lure you in with their promotions in the hopes that you'll buy everything there, discounted or not. Be sure to stick to the bargain items — if something is not on your list, just say no. Also, you can buy basics like paper, pencils and glue sticks in bulk cheaper. Dollar stores, warehouse stores and even eBay are sources for buying these and other basics in bulk. You and a group of other parents might be able to negotiate a group discount from an office supply store.

Reuse and revamp what you already have

Many school supplies can have a second life, such as backpacks, binders, folders, and even pens. If a notebook has been only lightly used, tear out the marked-up sheets of paper and have your child decorate the cover with stickers, stencils, or colorful paper to give it a fresh look. Does your child's backpack have a lifetime warranty? Some companies like Jansport will repair broken zippers or replace damaged backpacks for free.