Save on supplies

With the slumping economy and budget woes, you may not have much extra cash on hand for school supplies.
Here are some tips on how you can save money when shopping for the essentials.

(Sun-sentinel)

• Get a supply list from your child's school. Local stores like Wal-Mart and Target often display school supply lists.

• Shop smart. Take advantage of back-to-school sales and visit retailers' Web sites to print out coupons.

• Re-use what you can from last year. There's no reason to buy a new backpack or lunchbox every year. Do an inventory of what can be salvaged before you head to the store.

• To save money on gas, consider doing your back-to-school shopping in a single trip and carpool with other parents also tackling seasonal shopping.

• It also helps to talk to your neighbors. If your child's teacher is asking every student to buy a box of tissues or crayons, buy in bulk and split the cost among other parents.

• Hit the clearance sales. Some stores stop back-to-school sales within a week or two of students starting school.

• Buy in bulk, if the price is right.

• Check the dollar store. There's no need for brand names on basics like folders and paper.