Back-To-School Shopping Tips With 'Pocket Your Dollars'

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- After she and her husband paid off $50,000 in debts, a Twin Cities mother began offering advice on saving money on her blog Pocket Your Dollars.com.

The blog has become a huge hit with advice on everything from shopping, to daily deals and even freebies. Carrie Rocha, the founder of the blog, has some shopping tips as we get ready to send our kids back to school.

Getting organized

Rocha said it's important to take inventory of supplies, shoes and clothes for shopping so you know what you need to buy and what you can probably skip. You should also make a plan with how much you need and what sizes your kids be wearing this fall.

Tips to save money on school supplies

Rocha's blog has a weekly school supply price comparison chart that comes out every Monday morning. Prices are compared on more than 60 items at 10 national retailers and Amazon to tell you where to get the best deals on everything you need.

She said you should also buy what you need for the entire year, and also think about Christmas stocking stuffers and craft-themed gifts.

Most school supply lists only get you through the first part of the year. Crayola crayons are $0.25 per box this time of year, which is a savings of at least $2 per box.

Clothes

What do you need to start the year? We'll see clearance sales starting after Labor Day, so it doesn't hurt to wait until mid-September/October to buy more of what your kids need. Use online second-hand sites like Schoola, ThredUp and Kinderment to get used clothes prices without having to scour the racks at area thrift stores. You can also buy discounted gift cards.