Households across the United States will spend billions during back-to-school (B2S) season. This is the second-biggest shopping season of the year and signals the time for students to go back to school.

College and elementary students vastly differ in terms of their school and educational needs.

For instance, those beginning college will probably spend much more on their dorm room gear, textbooks and electronics. It is important to note the two leading spending categories in back-to-school shopping are electronics and clothing. Since back to school shopping is inevitable, let’s talk about ways to save money and be thrifty while making the necessary purchases.

Here are 10 Tips to Make Back to School Shopping Easy:

1. Start by taking an inventory of what you already have. You may be amazed that you already have a lot of things on last year’s backpack or in a drawer. That means you save the money you would have spent on rulers, markers, pens, and notebooks because you can re-use or re-purpose what you already have.

2. Cross check the class supply list of your child before making your purchases, especially for expensive products such calculators and computers.

3. Ask your child to try on the previous year’s clothing and draft a list of what needs replacement. You can even indulge other parents and ask them if they are willing to do a clothes swap. Scrutinize your child’s unwanted sports equipment and see if there is anything you can resell. These moves can help you save money.

4. Buy your child the right fit backpacks to avoid joint problems and injuries.

5. Spend a little time comparing online offers and coupons for vendors and save some by taking advantage of these offers.

6. Local health departments in some areas donate school supplies and other back to school essentials to parents taking their children for immunizations and other services.

Take advantage of that if you are making back-to-school medical appointments!

7. Consider doing your back-to-school shopping in a sales tax free state and/or do some research to see if your home state offers any tax breaks or incentives for the back-to-school shopping season.

8. Pick services providers offering discounts and perks such as next-day delivery, free shipping or the option to pick up your goods in store.

9. Use your smartphone to scan in store signs with codes which can let you know if there is a discount or deal you can take advantage.

10. Go for durability, for instance when purchasing binders or sturdier plastics folders so than you can reuse them the following year.

There are many things you can consider that will help you be both a spend-thrift and to pick-up all the supplies, clothes, and electronics you need to get your child(ren)’s school year off to a great start. These tips are a good starting point, good luck!