Back-to-school shopping is the best part of a new academic year (in my opinion, at least). But adding pens, pencils, notebooks, tablets, calculators, clothes and dorm essentials to your cart adds up: Families with students in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of $863.86 on supplies, while families with college students plan to spend an average of $1,437.79, according to the National Retail Federation. Its data shows that total expected back-to-school spending will be higher than ever this year, and everybody is looking for deals to offset costs.
To help you save while shopping for back-to-school supplies, I talked to experts about what to buy now versus what to save for later, how to find exclusive discounts and strategies that can help you pay as little as possible at checkout. I also rounded up a handful of the best deals for students, teachers and parents that you can shop right now.
Selected.Our top picks
Best sneaker deal
Adidas VL Court 3.0 Shoe
