Back-to-school shopping makes "cents!"

It's an inevitable and dreaded part of the back-to-school process: shopping for school supplies.  Stores seem to be unaware of the current state of the economy as they set out to convince your child that they must have the newest, most up-to-date, and certainly the most expensive of everything.

Parents, take heart!  With a little foresight and planning, you can use some of the same persuasive techniques as the large chain stores to coerce your elementary child to be a penny-pinching bargain hunter.  Following the steps below will help make back-to-school shopping much less painful and perhaps even (gasp) fun!

1. Make a list.  Before involving your children, sit down with your school's supply list and your own mental inventory and make a written list of everything you need to purchase, from underwear and new shoes to pencils and folders. 
2. Take an inventory.  When school supplies are relatively cheap in August, most people buy extras.  Dig out the folders you bought for a penny last year and the boxes of crayons from the great-aunt at Christmas.  Not everything has to be purchased new every year - more than likely your child can reuse scissors and rulers from years' past.
3. Grab the ads.  This is where elementary-aged children can really start to get involved.  Scour the circulars from local stores.  If you are truly looking to save money, places like Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and Target are probably better places to start than the office supply stores.  Have your children help decide which places have the "important" things they want (shoes, backpacks, etc.) at the best prices.
4. Set a budget.  Decide ahead of time how much you intend to spend on school supplies and how much you want to spend on new clothes, then stick to it.  Tell your children what the budget is and give them some ownership.  Don't rule out the overly expensive shoes - if they're willing to reuse last year's backpack.  If your kids know you mean business about the budget, they'll be more apt to prioritize and negotiate.
5. Make math fun!  After your child knows your budget, give them a notebook, calculator, and those same ads and let them figure out how to get everything they need.
6. Ready, set, shop!  When you have your list and your budget, you're ready to brave the stores.  Unless everything is in close proximity, it is much more time efficient to buy everything you need in one place.  Traveling from one store to the next to save four cents on a pack of crayons is not cost effective. 
7. Stick to your list.  Do. Not. Buy. Anything. Else.  It is way to easy to get caught up in the displays and sale signs.  Only buy what is only your list and be firm about your budget.  Have your child add up what is in your cart before you check out.  If you are way over budget, re-evaluate and put things back.

Back to school shopping may never be a breeze.  But by making a budget and involving your child in the process, it may at least be a little cheaper, and more fun for both of you.  By using exactly the process outlined above, this Examiner managed to get everything for two children at Wal-mart for under $35.  *(Not including clothes - they wear uniforms).

Happy shopping!