There’s no avoiding back-to-school shopping, even for homeschoolers — so let’s see how to make it as simple and effective as possible.

School supplies are the most important item, of course (yes, I know the kids think it’s clothes — we’ll get to them later). You may have been given a list of things your child supposedly needs. See how much of it you already have — after all, it’s rare for a student to wear out a geometry set in a year. Old folders and binders can be used until they fall apart, and you probably have some looseleaf paper left.

The year we raised my son’s allowance and told him to buy his own supplies from now on, he found that — ta da! — he already had everything he needed. If your child’s not old enough for this, give him/her a set amount of money to buy supplies, saying he/she can keep any money that’s left over. This turns kids suddenly frugal.

Your child probably also has a list of clothes he/she supposedly needs. If he/she’s starting at a new school, however, the list is likely not realistic. Try to persuade kids to wear neutral outfits, like jeans and tee shirts, until they get a feel for what others are wearing. The jeans and tees can still be new, of course. When you’re ready to shop for the other new clothes, there’ll be more on sale.

Lunches are one area where it’s good to splurge — though you may not have to. Lots of the fancier lunch items go on sale this time of year. If not, get some anyway, to ease your child’s transition back to school.

And that’s what it’s all about — transition with ease.

Everyone wants the latest “It” gadget, but not everyone can afford the latest technology has to offer. If you’re like most consumers, you have a healthy interest in modern technology but you won’t let it consume you or your finances  You also want the latest product but you don’t want to be duped into something that is going to be obsolete six months after you buy it. Of course, there is no way to predict the future of a product, but you can wisely predict whether the electronic item in question is worthwhile  and save money. Here’s how.

1- Wait For The Electronic Item To Lower In Price.

Most items have a peak period which means that when the demand for the product is high, so is the price. Once the demand winds down, oftentimes the price does too. That is the best time to buy.

2- Research The Product

This is especially important if you are seeking to buy an electronic item that costs over $300 or more. Research the product itself, customer reviews, and the price. Find out if this is something you really deem worthy and if you’re willing to pay full price for. Of course, you should never pay full price for a product unless there are no other options and you are absolutely sure that this is something you need (or really want).

3- Consider Alternatives

Many highly sought-out electronics, like MP3 players and eReaders, are pretty much replicated by dozens of companies. That said, not all are equal. For instance, some MP3 players have less storage space and don’t come with video playing capabilities. You get what you pay for. Figure out what is most important and what you can live without.

Looking to step back into school in style? Follow these few simple steps in order to look the best!

1. Shoes: Begin your search at department stores in your local mall such as Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor , and Macy’s. Look for the sales first and collect your coupons! Be sure not to pass by the B.P. Junior’s shoe department in Nordstrom for younger looks! Next, venture to DSW: Discount Shoe Warehouse. You can even shop DSW online to save even more! Make sure you sign up for DSW rewards for even more savings! The great thing about DSW is that they carry name brand shoes for less such as: Nine West, BCBG, Clarks, Gucci, Jones New York, Puma, Prada, New Balance, etc.
2. Clothes: For college girls, a great place for a dressier top would be Nordstrom’s Point of View department. It offers a wide variety of tops and bottoms for all sizes and styles. This department will likely not save you any money but hey, you have to splurge sometimes! Additionally, if you are a Macy’s Visa Card holder, you enjoy the benefits of frequent 20% and $20 off coupons as well as the occasional gift certificate from Macys. This comes in very hands in, let’s say the intimates section, an area that usually will cost a pretty penny, but you can use various discounts! Additionally, Macy’s carries high-end brands like Lactose, Ralph Lauren Polo and Tommy Hilfiger.
3. Accessories: Every girl should go to school with a new bag, whether it be a school bag or a pocketbook. Stores I would recommend for this would be either Burberry or Coach outlets or department stores like Macy’s or Lord & Taylor, where by an off chance, you could find your next dream bag on sale! If all else fails, I always rely on my Longchamp totes sold in Nordstrom for a reasonable ticket price in my opinion.
4. Cosmetics and Personal Accessories: For cosmetics, I believe in investing when investing should be made. I recommend either Clinique or Lancôme make-up: Clinique for everything facial and Lancôme for everything and all about the eyes. It will cost you a lot up front but it will last you a long time and work better than less expensive discount brands. For personal accessories like nail polish, I would recommend visiting a discount beauty supply like Harmons (which accepts Bed, Bath, and Beyond coupons…so save them!) to purchase nail polish, nail care kits, make-up cases, body-wash, shampoo and conditioner and hair accessories like clips and brushes.

All in all, going back to school is a process for guys and girls. It is harder to spend less on getting ready for school than it is spending more. At the end of the day, it takes some thinking before buying and the ability to train yourself to shop smart! Good luck and best of luck with your school year!

Now, I don’t have extensive game buying experience, as my game library consists of a modest nine games, but I do understand the pros and cons to pre-ordering a video game.

To start , I have a little information on pre-ordering.  It is generally only offered on games that are expected to do very well, like the Halo and Call of Duty series.  Games with smaller sales predictions may chose not offer pre-ordering and even if they do, stores may not offer it.  There are some pros and cons.  First, the pros:

• If the game is popular, it could be sold out, so pre-ordering it guarantees you a copy.  This means not sitting in the record setting premier of a new game, aka Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. On top of that, the price to guarantee a copy is usually the same as the price to buy the game normally.
• Sometimes, pre-ordering a game can get you certain features that aren’t in the ordinary copy. For example, I get map packs for free in Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

Now, the bad with the good, the cons:

• When you pre-order a game, they normally make you lay a five or ten dollar deposit down so they know you will buy it.  That means that you choosing not to buy the game because of you not liking it or having second thoughts results in you losing some moolah.
• When you pre-order a game, it has not been released yet (obviously!), so there may be no or few reviews.  That means you are pre-ordering a game that could have good public relations people (good PR=good hype) but could actually stink like month old fish.  This means you could go pick it up and have it be bad or not get it because of reviews and lose your deposit.
• Sometimes, a game will cost more to pre-order, although that is not normal.
• Finally, if you are overly leftist, you may not want to pre-order, as your deposit gives the capitalist corporations money to gain interest on (gasp!).

It may seem like the cons outweigh the pros, but sometimes being able to get a game without waiting or hearing the dreaded “sold out” is worth all the risk. Hopefully, you, my reader, use my advice well, and don’t spend too eagerly on games.

Mid to late summer is a stressful time for most families, particularly those with school-aged children. There is so much to do and so little time. You’ve got to register them for the school-year, catch up on their shots and health records, re-establish a daily routine, help them shop for new clothes and supplies, etc.  The good news is that you can make the latter of these tasks easier on everyone and save money in the process. Here’s how!

Print Out Lists: Go on the school’s official website and print out the dress codes and supplies list. Sit down and talk with your child about what they already have and what they need. If they still have last year’s notebooks or a spare box of unused pencils, check that off the list. Only buy what you need.

Sign Up For Store Emails: Do you have a favorite store or two that you regularly shop for clothes? If the answer is yes, sign up for sale emails from that one particular store to keep up with the latest deals.

Take Advantage Of Bargain Uniforms: Many public schools mandate that the students must wear uniforms which generally require preppy basics like polo shirts and khaki dress pants. The good news is that almost all apparel stores sell the items and you can buy cheap (and chic) versions at Target or Macy’s.

Don’t Buy Everything At One Store: Browse several stores before you buy. Make sure that you’re getting the lowest cost on everything, and oftentimes that means shopping several stores in one day.

Bring Your Child: You don’t want to be hassled with last minute returns, so do yourself a big favor and bring your child to try on uniforms and footwear before you purchase them. And do hang on to your receipts, just in case!

The self-checkouts that have appeared in the local supermarkets caught me at an awkward age — too old to get the hang of new technology quickly, too young to be unembarrassed when I needed help. I’ve lost track of how many times I had to push the help button on these gadgets, or the machine itself somehow signaled to the store staff and a clerk, usually very young, appeared to straighten things out.

Yes, it was embarrassing. But on the upside, every time it happened I learned something about self-checkouts. For example:

• Go slowly the first several dozen times. It’s your best chance of getting it right, and it’s not as if people are usually lined up for these checkouts.
• Don’t scan points cards or anything else before you’re prompted to.
• If you’re paying with a gift card, save it till the end — don’t scan it in with your coupons or whatever.
• Yes, you can weigh and price your own produce. Just put it on the scanner, find the keypad, and key in the number on the produce’s sticker. If it has none (it’s hard to put stickers on cherries, after all), note the PLU code on the produce’s sign when you first pick it up.
• The machine will decide there’s an “unexpected item in bagging area” even if the strap of your purse just rests there for a moment.
• Some, but not all, self-checkouts give you the option of paying with debit and getting extra cash at the same time.
• If you’re getting change, you may have to hunt around for it. The machine may dispense your bills right under the scanner, but coins into a holder way off to one side.

Take it slowly, and soon you’ll know everything you need to.

In a about two to three months we will slowly transition our wardrobes from summer to fall and whether you’re ready or not, next month most stores will start selling clothes and accessories for autumn. To help you stay ahead of the fashion curve, lets take a look at current fall trends you’ve gotta shop for!

Plaids

People are mad are about plaid right now and if you haven’t joined the plaid bandwagon, you should join now.  Think pretty plaid blouses in rich hues like deep mustard or red. A plaid peacoat is another stylish option.

Velvet

This is a trickier trend as many people want to reserve velvet for nighttime glamour, but you can work this trend into your day wardrobe by selecting a velvet piece that you’d wear everyday. Try a velvet skirt or jacket.

Retro Glam

Good news for those who love to dress up, elegance is back! And this time its glamour inspired from the 1950s. Think classic dresses with a body-conscious fit, colored prints, and a-line skirts.

Lots Of Layers

As the days get colder its only natural that fashion mandates we bundle up.  That doesn’t mean we just throw on layers of sweaters and call it a day, this means we most carefully layer up with piece that flatter our figures all while maintaining a look that is contemporary.  Start with a basic camisole and layer a trendy cardigan sweater over it, finish the look with an a-line mini skirt, textured leggings, and embellished ballet flats.

Shopping for your first apartment is difficult, no doubt about it. Even more complicated is when you have roommates to share the spending with. At first, it sounds like a good deal, until you start deciding what to buy. Thus, the opportunity to employ the following solutions:

1. Coming from a hyper-organized, excel-loving, control-freak: create a comprehensive Excel spreadsheet with the following headings:

• Item
• Location (kitchen, bathroom, common room)
• Person Bringing

2. Once you create this spreadsheet, get together as a group via video chat or in person and filter through what each person already has and is able to bring in order to cut costs. If someone “signs up” for the frying pan, highlight the rest of the cells in that column on the spreadsheet and fill them with a solid color (I chose black).

3. On your second filter, decide what the most important things on your list are (such as silverware and table settings) and highlight those rows in a different color like yellow.

4. Once your list is complete, begin your research. I would recommend starting with dishes and silverware. Target.com is a great place to start. There you can filter your results by price and brand.

• In my experience, one of the most reliable brands is Corelle. Corelle’s dinner ware sets are microwave safe, sturdy (not broken as easily as your Mother’s fine China!) and affordable. For example, when sorted from highest to lowest price, Corelle’s highest price as July 11^th, 2010 is $79.99. Let’s say you have 8 roommates…that equals approximately $8/person for a 16 piece dinnerware set!

(www.target.com)

• Another reliable brand is Target Home. Yes it is not Oneida or Lenox like I enjoy at my home, it is quite fine for a temporary college apartment. It is good quality and does not break student’s bank accounts. For a special of $60 I purchased 8 place settings along with an added bonus of 5 serving utensils; for my apartment of 6, it only cost us $10 each.

For additional super saving shopping experiences I recommend:

• Bed Bath and Beyond
• Target
• AC Moore (Where I got a 5-piece bake ware set for a super special sale price of $10 from a regular of $30!)
• Wegmans

A sign at a “dollar-plus” store near me says “Buy all your groceries here first!” It goes on to say that the products are the same, but the prices are lower than elsewhere.

I decided to find out if that was really true. I noted the prices of some items and compared them to the prices at the regular supermarket next time I was there. The answer isn’t a straightforward yes or no. The dollar store price may be lower than the regular price, but higher than the price when the item’s on special. Or it may be lower than either. To save money, you’ll have to study the supermarket  specials each week.

I’ll give you some examples. At the supermarket, a small cake mix cost $1.69, a kilo of salt $1.29 (regularly $1.39), and a box of pudding mix $1.49 (regularly $1.69). At the dollar store, they were all 99 cents.

But a can of pineapple that cost $1.29 at the dollar store was on special at the supermarket for just 89 cents. Of course, it’s usually $1.79.

(Just a side note here — I had to take the store’s word for it. We all know of places where the “special” price is charged year in and year out, and you’re not really getting a discount.)

Cans of tuna were $1.49 at the dollar store, regularly $1.99 at the supermarket, but just 99 cents this week. The cans of chicken were also on special at the supermarket, $2.79 instead of $3.29, but they were still cheaper at the dollar store: $1.49, same as the tuna. Heinz canned pasta and baked beans were also on special at the supermarket (both $1, marked down from $1.59), but they were still a lot cheaper — just 69 cents — at the dollar store.

Another good deal at the dollar store was a pound jar of instant coffee for $2.99. It’s at least $5.99 at the supermarket (where I live, anyway).

To get the best deal every time, check out the dollar store and the weekly supermarket specials.

Jeans are the one trend that will never go out of style! Jeans are also the one trend that comes in a wide variety of colors, cuts,  and styles- proving that this is one item that works for everyone. Of course, what style and cut works for one person (i.e.  a model) might not work for for you.  And because of the overwhelming supply of denim styles and trends, its always best to try on dozens of pairs before actually purchasing one (or two).  Here are few things to keep in mind when shopping for that perfect pair!

1- Keep Your Size and Shape In Mind

Short fashionistas will have a hard time living in a pair of jeans made for tall girls, so unless you have a terrific tailor  on speed dial,  stay in the petite section.  If you’ve got a bit of a tummy, steer clear of high-waisted jeans which will only emphasize your stomach and shop for mid-ride styles instead.  Remember to keep the focus on finding the right pair of jeans that flatter you and your figure.

2- Forget Trends

Shredded bleached jeans are all the rage now, but if you’re plunking down several hundred dollars in cash for a good pair of blue jeans, make sure that the style will last more than a season. Think classic straight-leg jeans with a dark wash.

3- Keep Your Size In Mind

Your size may change based on the brands you’re trying on. You could be a size 4 in brand A, a size 2 in brand B, and a size 6 in brand C.  Once you’ve found the perfect pair, keep that size in mind when you’re shopping for more jeans from the same line.

4- Come To The Department Store Prepared

Bring your favorite pair of heels and favorite blouse when trying on jeans. You need to know how the whole ensemble will look with your new pair. And don’t bring a lot of jewelry, just the basics.  And don’t forget to bring a trusty friend with an honest opinion who will patiently wait for you outside the dressing room to come out and give you an honestly tactful second opinion on whether or not those jeans are your dream pair.

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