What are some tips and tricks to save money on back to school shopping?

• I'm only a kid, but we'll be shopping for school stuff near the end of Aug. coz we start September 8. I gotta buy-- --backpack --Arm warmers --Claire's Jewelery ( priced 8-10$) --Notebooks --pens, pencils, folders --clothing (not a whole lot of clothes, 2-3 at most) I don't have a budget but I'm a kid and want to save some money. What are the best times for shopping, also? Thx!

• Answer:

  Right now if you watch the CVS, Walgreens, Target, Staples and Right Aid weekly specials, you will see some FREE, yes FREE, school supplies and very cheap ones. CVS offers a few free school supplies every Sunday and Monday, so you have to go early to get them. Walgreens had free pens last week, this week it is shampoo and toothbrushes free (but you still need those for school). Walgreens has papermate highlighters right now for .29 a pack and nice 1" binders for .99 each. Lots of other school supplies under $1.00 each. CVS has on sunday and Monday this week - 2 free stretch book covers, rulers, glue and 1 subject notebooks. Also lots of specials on other stuff. Target and Staples will run penny and quarter sales along with deeply discounted items. I would suggest getting any items that are cheap or free that you KNOW you will use. Later in the school year if you run out you will not be able to find these kind of prices. Stock up now on that stuff then once you have your list from classes you can add on what you need then. On Claires - ALWAYS shop the back of the store. They have the clearance stuff there and the redline sales are great. Take a friend so if it is 15 items for $10.00 you can split the cost and the loot. Also you can share earrings that come in a bunch on a card. Back pack - again watch all the stores I mentioned for school supplies. CVS had a special that you got $5 back on any backpack purchase. They will have lots of promotions this time of year. Clothes - do you do resale shops? We do the goodwill and salvation army ones. They have some nice stuff - always wash first. Look for upper scale/designer resale shops. We also do the mall and look for specials. Again take a friend and split the specials. We just got sneakers for $15 off by sharing the buy with a friend - if you spent 100 you got back 30 on the sale. Target has a lot of nice basic items for clothing. Our plan is usually to go and get basic items (solid color tops and bottoms) and then add in some prints and novelty shirts, jackets, jewelry etc as we go. I give each kid a set limit of what they can spend and they stay in the limits or spend their own money. Check your local grocery store. Ours has a fuel perks where if you buy gift cards for certain stores you get money off your gas. we bought a camera and an ipod touch at best buy - bought certificates and got two free tanks of gas. Makes mom much more conducive to going shopping if you get her free gas....