NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The start of the school year is just a few weeks away and back to school lists are already at the top of parent's minds.
Getting a head start when tackling the long list can come in handy. Experts said it allows you to focus on better deals as you find them, instead of rushing and buying full priced items.
A good amount of families are already doing this. A survey from the National Retail Federation found last month that 25 percent of back to school and back to college shoppers already started. That's up 17 percent from five years ago.
Experts said that's because people are expecting to see higher prices, especially for items like clothing, shoes and electronics. This year for families wanting to find ways to stretch their dollars, experts recommend buying generic products and keeping an eye out for coupons to use for those lists.
It's important to note inflation rates overall are down compared to this time last year, but adding up a long list of supplies can still be costly.
"Everything's been a little bit more expensive lately so we just try to take advantage of what's on sale and kind of look for the deals, look for things online too versus in stores at time."
Even if you are shopping now for good deals, don't forget about the sales tax holiday at the end of the month. That's perfect for bigger items like computers.
