Planning your shopping trip in advance can save time, money and stress.

Every August and September, millions of parents and children descend on drug stores, stationery shops and office supply stores in search of great quantities of back to school supplies. From reams of paper and boxes of pencils to elaborate binder/organizers and calculators, families shell out big bucks so their kids will have everything they need for the start of the school year. Planning your annual shopping trip ahead of time and following a few basic guidelines can help you save money, avoid undue stress and make sure you're buying the right things.

Deborah Skolnik is an editor at Parents magazine, specializing in early childhood development and personal finance. A mother herself, Skolnik has also written for publications like Baby Talk and American Baby, and writes a parenting column called "The Early Years" for the New York Daily News. Here she gives us her tips for the back to school shopping rush:

• Plan ahead. Skolnik recommends that you start planning your shopping trip early. As summer draws to a close, check out your newspaper circulars and keep an eye out for sales and coupons. If your child's school sends out supply lists, match these against what's on sale. An early trip will also help make sure that the most popular items are still on the shelves.

• Backpacks. A good backpack has become one of the most important back to school items in recent years. Make sure you buy something comfortable and durable and something that your child will be happy to wear and pack with all of his or her stuff.

• Encouragement. Aside from the basics like paper and pens, try to think of things that will give your child a little psychological boost or add some joy to the back to school experience. Skolnik suggests buying some neat magnets for the fridge so you can display your child's homework, artwork or report cards.

• Personalized stuff. Personalized items are also a fun idea. For about five bucks, says Skolnik, you can get a good set of colored pencils with your child's name on them. Little bits of creativity and whimsy can bring smiles to your child's face at an otherwise stressful time and help both of you get through school shopping season with positive attitudes.

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Back to School Shopping Tips for Parents
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