Moms know secrets to getting best back-to-school deals

CLEVELAND - Ellen Kelly and her kids are going from store to store to find the best deals.

"We'll go to Target, Walmart, Staples and maybe buy some things through school," she said. Kelly, like a lot of moms, is watching the budget very closely this year.

Mandy Stephens also hopes to keep her spending below last year's.

"Hopefully less," this busy mom said. Surveys say the average family with two kids will spend $600 this year on back to school.

So to trim those costs, we turned to a seasoned mommy blogger, Andrea Deckard of SavingsLifestyle.com . Deckard's first tip: know exactly what you need from the school's list. Then, don't be lured off that list by higher priced character merchandise this year.

"The character notebooks, the characters, especially Justin Bieber, all these different celebrities, on the notebooks, those are back in fashion." Those notebooks and backpacks can be twice the price. She suggests limiting the kids to just one.

Another tip: Grab the Sunday newspaper for weekly coupons and shop with those. Sales vary from week to week, and Deckard said many shoppers make the mistake of buying everything at once to save time. It's quicker, but costlier.

Where are the deals? She said no single store is cheapest on everything.

"Walmart has higher prices on a few things," she said. "But Target has higher prices on a few different things."

She said Staples is great for weekly penny deals, but warns that other items there can be pricier.

"They have some great deals each week, where they list some items for a penny. But those are limited quantities."

For more expensive items over $15 or $20, like backpacks, Deckard said use a price-scanning app such as Red Laser or Shop Savvy.

"It gives us a list of all the different places online that have that product, " she said. A Dymo label maker that she scanned with her iPhone ranged from $25 down to $17 depending where you buy it.

Deckard also suggests you hold off buying fall and winter clothing: Most of it's not on sale now, and summer clothes are fine for September, she said. And she said don't forget Old Navy, Walgreens, Michael's, and even dollar stores, which can be much cheaper on many "basics."

Deckard lists many of the weekly deals on her blog at SavingsLifestyle.com. So how will this back-to-school season turn out? It's impossible to say right now. But with retailers worried, they're going to be cutting prices.

And that way you don't waste your money.