Guess what — summer is over. Ok, so it’s not technically over. But the carefree, I-don’t-have-to-think-about-school part is certainly long gone. Think differently? Just look at the Sunday paper ads, the email promotions and banner ads all over the web, and the signage in almost any store you walk into these days. Oh yeah, it’s back-to-school time, baby.

If you’re a student or parent of a student, it’s likely that you now have a long list of stuff you need to buy for school. And, of course, you want to get all the best stuff at the best posible price, right? Well, Smart Money has some suggestions to help — offering us six ways to save on back-to-school shopping including:

1. Shop superstores – Target, Walmart and Kmart tend to have better prices on school supplies than office supply stores.

2. Ask for a price adjustment – Many stores will honor today’s sale price for items purchased up to two weeks ago, provided you still have the receipt.

3. Take advantage of tax holidays – Depending on where you live, you could save up to 7% (local sales tax may still apply) on top of store sales.

4. Focus on loss leaders – Focus on picking up a few items from store circulars each week, and scooping up the rest of what you need on clearance at the last minute.

5. Buy from manufacturers – Apple offers special pricing year-round for students through its Online Store for Education, and Dell provides student deals thought its Dell University site.

6. Work from a list – Many school districts and individual teachers provide checklists of what your child will need. These lists can help you separate the must-haves form the wants and spend accordingly.

Here’s the great thing about back-to-school sales: not only is this a great time for students to save, but it’s also a built-in sale for the rest of us that need some office supplies, a new computer or anything “school” related. If this includes you, then catch the wave of student savings and save yourself a bundle.

8 Deals on Back-to-School Shopping [Smart Money]

— FREE MONEY FINANCE (Photo: taberandrew)

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