Guest Author - Cate Brizzell

Back-to-school shopping can be an expensive proposition. Between growing kids and higher prices, how do you get your kids ready for a new year without breaking the bank?

Here are a few tips from my family to yours.

Shop early for best selection--and bargains. Usually, waiting a bit for items to be out of season can result in some terrific buys. Not so when it comes to school supplies. As soon as you see the back-to-school flyers and in-store displays in your area, get shopping. Our family waited one year in order to get items dirt-cheap. We ended up paying a premium for needed items because stock was sold out and prices were back to normal. The early bird gets the bargains in this case!

Go through last year's items to see what you can re-use. We do this as soon as school lets out for the year. We cull through what's left and decide what gets tossed and what will work for the upcoming school year. Then, it all goes in specially marked boxes in our office closet, one for each child. When it's time to do the back-to-school shopping, all we have to do is pull out the boxes and figure out what's left to buy.

Don't shop without a list. Most schools provide shopping lists by school and classroom to local discount and office supply stores. In our case, the school would mail the kids' supply lists in mid-July. Take this list and use it religiously. Cross off items you already have. Compare needed items to store flyers and decide where you will purchase each item. I used different color highlighters to denote different stores.

Decide ahead of time how many "trendy" items you or your child will purchase. We all know how companies will market to our children just before back-to-school time. I don't allow my kids to purchase trendy lunchboxes; we do themed folders or notebooks instead. They're a lot cheaper than lunchboxes. When it comes to things like backpacks and lunchboxes, I'm more interested in features and quality, so I don't like to have trends drive those types of purchases.

Buy clothing out of season. Unlike school supplies, you can wait to buy Junior his new jeans and end up with some great bargains in just an extra month or two. Of course, your child's growing patterns may dictate what you need to buy and when, but I like to get only what my kids absolutely need for that first day when prices are sky-high. I inventory the kids' clothes when I'm changing seasons and keep a list of items they'll need. The lists live great in your purse or on your PDA. When you're shopping and see a sale, or a sale flyer, pull out your list and get those needed items. Another great strategy is to purchase next year's duds at after-Christmas sales. Even if you aren't sure when your child will grow into size 12 jeans, you know they'll be wearing them at some point! My Old Navy store just had girls t-shirts go on sale for $1.97 each. For $10, I have a week's worth of early fall/spring tops.

Swap with other parents. My daughters' dance studio has a special cabinet where we can put shoes that our girls no longer wear. Before I buy new tap, jazz or ballet shoes I head to that cabinet. This is also where your list can come in handy. Rather than go through bags of hand-me-downs to get that ski jacket your son needs, simply ask your friend with a son a year or two older whether she has any winter coats she needs to get rid of. Looking for expensive sporting equipment? Ask around. Moms I know love to get rid of outgrown cleats, shorts, jerseys, etc. that are cluttering up closets.

Backpack strategies. Your child's backpack or bookbag can be an expensive--and important--item on your shopping list. I stumbled upon a great strategy for buying these a couple years ago, when I was browsing a popular mail-order site that offers kids' clothes and backpacks. I shopped in the spring and found backpacks from the prior year marked down from $44 to $11. I let my kids choose which color and style they wanted, as long as the packs met my minimum requirements. I then used the credit card for this mail-order company to make my purchase, which provided monogramming and shipping for free. The packs are now going on their third year and they look practically brand-new! My kids still love them--and the monogramming is a nice touch.

Make it a time to remember. Sometimes in the midst of all the hustle and bustle, it's hard to stay focused on the fact that the coming year is yet another milestone in your child's life. Make back-to-school shopping special by taking your child on a date. It can be a lunch date or a simple ice cream treat. Ask your child what they're most looking forward to this year, or what they're most nervous about. Spend some time reviewing all the fun things you did together this summer. Stock up on film or charge those batteries for your digital camera so you can snap lots of photos on that big first day.

Just like anything else, with a little planning and forethought, your back-to-school shopping can be a pleasant--and financially pain-free--experience.

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