Your children will soon be heading back to school, which means you have shopping to do. Your younger children will need notebooks, pencils, clothes, shoes and all those other things that teachers like to throw on school supply lists. But if you have college-aged kids, they’re also going to need textbooks, computers and software before school starts.

But who wants to spend the rest of the summer holiday running around town from store to store, trying to find all your children’s school supplies at good prices?

Make sure you know what you need to actually purchase for your children. Are there items on the list you can reuse from last year? And as your children grow older in the school system, are there some things you can put in the next garage sale, because those items aren’t used in the older grades?

Once you have your shopping list completed, start searching for everything online, so you don’t have to leave the house, or spend hours in traffic going from store to store. You can search the websites for retail stores themselves, or go to DefinitiveDeals.com, which can provide you with coupons, discounts and even free shipping for all the school supplies you need.

If your child needs textbooks for college, consider renting instead of purchasing to help save money. You can find eTextbooks, eChapters, study tools and rental textbooks at discounted prices with CengageBrain, and CengageBrain coupons help to sweeten the discount deal.

And you’re probably going to need to purchase new clothes for your kids to prepare them for the winter season and to replace everything they outgrew. If your children are involved in sports, Finish Line has the shoe selection you need to make sure their feet are appropriately attired for whatever sport they play. You can find Finish Line coupons to help save more cash at DefinitiveDeals.com.

For a final tip, consider buying materials in bulk – especially if you’re shopping for more than one child. Many stores sell bulk items at a reduced price, allowing you to save money. And consider the option of buying for two years. For example, you know that pencils, pens, notebooks and folders will very likely be required every year your child is in school, so if you have storage space, buy ahead so you won’t have to add those items to your list next year.

Courtesy of ARAcontent