Save Big on School Supplies

You can indulge in a personal back-to-school bargains bonanza if you follow the advice of "The Early Show Saturday Edition"'s "Bargainista"!

This time, Consumer Reports Editor Lisa Freeman took on the role, offering shopping do's and don'ts from an Office Depot store in Paramus, N.J. She showed how to spend less, without skimping.

TAKE THE SCHOOL'S LIST WITH YOU AND STICK TO IT!

Go with a list and stick to it: Separate the wants from the needs. The teacher's supply list is all you'll need, so don't waste time and money on unlisted items. Extra supplies, while they may be cute, will probably never get used and just leave your pockets empty. And supplies with gimmicks, such as a light-up pencil sharpener, can be distractions in class.

YOU MIGHT ALREADY HAVE WHAT YOU NEED!

First, take inventory: Gather what you can at home. Most families have stashes hidden away of binders, hardly-used spiral notebooks and, certainly, pencils and pens.

Go online before you head out to the store, looking for discounts and coupons. Check sites such as SundaySaver.com and RetailMeNot.com.

Also, check store Web sites.

Stores upload their circulars to their sites, so you can compare prices at retailers in your community. Many stores, such as Office Depot, Staples and others, have printable coupons you can take with you to the store. Office Depot is offering $10 off a purchase of $40 or more. You may also find online deals; we found one (at Office Max) that offers 20 percent off the total of your online order.

WATCH FOR PROMOTIONS

We found a store offering a free backpack with a $20 purchase (Office Depot). Office supply stores like Office Depot are offer penny deals, like 99 cent protractors, rulers and composition notebooks. Also, check out your local dollar stores; we found school supplies at very competitive prices when compared to stores like Target and Wal-Mart. Hang onto flyers and ads that advertise supplies at a particular price. If the store where you're shopping charges more, ask the sales clerks to match its competitor. Some stores that don't offer price matching will still do it.

STICK TO THE BASICS

Buy generic/store brands.

Take coupons and fliers -- but leave the kids at home!

Hold off on buying trendier gear: Branded lunch boxes, pencil cases and backpacks are just trends. Kids may love a version they find in now, but once they start school and see that their friends are all using another kind, they'll beg you to upgrade them -- and that only results in wasted cash. In fact, ShopSmart's backpack test found that the branded Hannah Montana and Bakugan Battle Brawlers bags were poorly made with zippers that easily broke off and straps that split. When it comes to supplies ShopSmart recommends you check out the store brands as they will be cheaper than the branded licensed folders, pencils and binders.

SHOP IN BULK WITH A BUDDY

Buy big, and use calculators.

Buy in bulk. When you do go supply shopping, go big. Notebooks, pencils, pens, and erasers are often sold in bulk.

Shop with another child's parent: Split the costs on two-for-one deals so you both save. Maybe your child needs only three spiral notebooks but there's a great deal on packages of six spiral notebooks.

Shop with a calculator: How do you know if that big 12-pack of glue sticks is a good buy over the 2-pack that is on sale? Pull out your calculator to figure out the price per unit, so you can compare apples to apples.

SAVING ON HIGH-TECH ITEMS

As for the required calculators: Most schools will provide them but won't allow students to take them home. If you want your child to own their own, know that it will service them from middle school through high school. You can find used ones online but BE CAREFUL!!!! They are updated every five years or so and might be useless to the student, regardless of the price.

Check out Netbooks: According the National Retail Federation, the only place people will be spending money this back to school season is on electronics like computers. These small wonders have all of the basic functions of a larger laptop. They are small, light and come in an array of colors, but are a fraction of the price, $200-300 as opposed to thousands of dollars. If your child just needs to check e-mail go on Facebook and write papers, this is perfect. And since kids tend to break things, the cheaper price tag will ease the blow.

And should you be in the market for a desktop, and you already have a screen from an old computer, you can buy a CPU for a couple of hundred dollars as well. Look for re-furbs; go to reputable dealer.