Coupon Queen: How to save during back-to-school shopping

Shopping for back-to-school supplies can be a spending trigger for me. There is just something about a fresh new box of crayons, colorful binders and a row of colored pencils that makes me go weak in the knees. I work hard not to overspend and to stay within my back-to-school budget. Here are a few ways I help make that happen: Gather Before heading to the store, pull out last year's backpacks, sort through them and make an effort to save as many of these supplies as possible. You may be surprised at how many supplies can be reused. Be sure to rummage through your desks, closets and drawers to see if you can find any extra supplies you may have bought last year as well. Leave the kids at home Taking a young child school supply shopping is similar to taking them to the candy store. The bright, trendy (and very expensive) supplies can make their eyes widen and give them a case of the "must-haves." I've learned I will spend less money if I leave my kids at home for most of the shopping. If you still want to bring the kids along, choose a shopping trip where fewer decisions are needed. For instance, picking out the lunch box or book bag. Shop the loss leaders Each week, stores such as Target and office supply stores offer school supply loss leaders. These are low-price sales that drive traffic into stores. By focusing on these deals, you'll be amazed how much you were able to pick up for just a few bucks. Shop now You'll find rock-bottom prices and the best selection in early August since many retailers stop restocking most supplies by the end of the month. If you wait until Labor Day to shop, you may not only be stuck paying retail but also having a hard time grabbing everything on your list. Shop around Many shoppers head to Target and Walmart to do the bulk of their shopping, but don't forget Walgreens, CVS, Discount Drug Mart, Rite Aid and Staples, too. These stores offer up lots of weekly deals and their prices are usually competitive. Shop tax-free weekend Try to grab the majority of your items during Ohio's tax-free weekend this Friday through Sunday. During the holiday, you won't pay tax on clothing priced $75 per item or less, school supplies priced $20 per item or less and school instructional material priced $20 per item or less. Keep in mind this is a busy weekend to shop, so you'll want to bring along a little patience when you head to the store. This week's deal Here are a few deals that you can get at Staples: Composition notebooks, Elmer's glue sticks (2pk) and Crayola crayons (24pk) = 50 cents each Rachel Krych is passionate about helping others spend less and save more. In addition to her weekly column, she has a blog, Couponing With Rachel, which earns her compensation from Google for ads it places there, and from entertainment marketers whose promotional codes she touts. She doesn't write about entertainment in her column. Email her at couponingwithrachel@hotmail.com."