It's that time of year — back to school.  Tomorrow we'll look at preparing the home for back to school. but today we look at shopping.

Many states have tax free holidays during the back to school period.  If your state has one and you need to make purchases, be sure to take advantage of this discount.

Think outside the big box stores.  Office stores and craft stores often have good back to school deals.

Check with your school before buying classroom supplies.  Teachers are often very specific about what students should have.

If the supplies are consumable (crayons, pens, notebooks, etc.), consider buying extras now, while things are on sale.  When the fall supplies run out midyear, you'll have replacements available and you won't have to pay the higher price.

What are your back to school shopping strategies?