Ding! Dong! The back to school bells are tolling. Are you ready to answer the call? With all of the expense put forth last year, you cannot imagine the amount of time and money you will need to spend this year just to outfit your kids in clothes that fit and school supplies that actually meet their academic needs. Never fear! Here are some simple tips you can use to check off everything on your school supplies list, without having to empty your bank account.

Supplies: Classroom and Personal

1. Make a List: Making a list of everything your child needs for the coming school year will actually make school supplies hunting a piece of cake. Once you have everything written down, go over the list a couple of times to make sure. Most schools will actually send you a list of the supplies your child will need, and will let you know the classroom supply needs as well. This list will allow you to do some school supply hunting online. Hunting online helps you find the best prices on everything on your list. In some cases, you may not even have to leave your house.

2. Clip Coupons: Once your list is compiled, look in your newspaper, junk mail pile, and your online coupon sources for school supplies. Pulling out your scissors to cut a few coupons, or scouring the internet for the best deals may actually save you hundreds of dollars on school and classroom supplies.

3. Discount Shopping: Believe it or not, you can find all of the things on your school supplies list by just stopping by your local discount store. Not surprisingly, you can find super deals on notebooks, writing supplies, and other things your school may have listed as classroom supply needs. Don’t break your bank to get name brand supplies, when your local discount store can give you the same quality goods at much lower prices.

4. Kid Control: When shopping for school supplies your biggest enemy may actually be your own child. Children get over excited when it comes to back to school shopping and may try to convince you that they need something that is not on the list. Stick to the list! Don’t let those doe eyes and pouty lips cost you more money at the register.

5. Buy in Bulk: Purchasing school and classroom supplies in larger quantities can actually save you some cash. Sure, your kid might not need 10-15 notebooks right now, but he/she will need to refill from their school supply list later in the year when prices have gone back to normal. Buy everything you need now, even if it seems like overkill. Prices are always lower around back to school time.

Supplies: Clothes, Shoes, and Accessories

6. Price Limiting: As stated before, don’t let your kid be your worst shopping enemy. When purchasing back to school clothes, make a budget for each kid and stick to it! Your older children may need a little more in their budget based on what they think their “friends” are wearing, but don’t leave the younger kids out. Make sure you get each kid a couple of new outfits and maybe a special back to school item (watch, jewelry, day planner, or wallet).

7. Don’t Overload: Unless your kids have done some serious growing over the summer, you really don’t need to splurge on a whole new wardrobe. Go through their closets with them and figure out which outfits are going to be good for another year, and which ones just will not do. Remember, your kids might try and hoodwink you into believing that they just HAVE to dress in the latest fashions. Not so! If it fits, doesn’t have holes in it, and still smells clean they can wear it again.

Buying school and classroom supplies doesn’t have to cost you more than you make in a year. If you follow the above tips and just stick with the plan, you can conquer the back to school “armies” with a well placed coupon and a smile.