I haven’t gotten the full list of what David my soon to be first grader will need for school this year.  But I plan on being very smart about how I shop.  Fortunately his school has a partial dress code.  Plain collared shirts. I think that is great.  I found shirts for $5-$7.  As far as buying paper goods, pencils and crayons I have picked up tips from my savvy friends.

Anneke Leffel has two beautiful boys and she is smart with her money, She says she buys backpacks from LLBean and if anything goes wrong they fix it.  She uses the backpacks from year to year.  She also searches her closets for crayons, pencils and pencil cases that can be reused.

Retail analysts say we are not alone.  Consumers are planning on spending 8% less than they did last year on supplies.  The only sector that will see a rise is in electronics where we are expected to spend 11% more this year.

Here are 8 tips for saving on supplies:

1. Shop with a friend:  Buy bulk items and split them with another family.

2. Shop without your kids:  Your kids will convince you to buy name brands.  If  they are not around you can spend less.

3. Shop the auction sites:  You can purchase electronic items, computers, calculators etc by bidding on line.

4. Use coupons:  Try online coupons for the stores you visit.. www.couponscodes.com

5. Buy textbooks for less:  Try www.halfebay.com to get a deal on textbooks.

6. Make a budget:  Show your kids the amount you are willing to spend and have them shop with you and make choices as to how that amount will be allocated. It’s a good lesson in money management.

7. Wait, wait and wait:  Only buy the basics now.  After school starts the prices will come down and you can grab for now and for next year.

8. Search your closets:  No need to buy new pencils, crayons and loose leaf paper if you already have it left from last year.  You can always fill in when necessary.