Back to school on a budget

Before hitting the stores for back-to-school clothes, Melody Quinney will do a detailed inventory of what her four boys already have.

Socks? Check.

Shoes? Needed.

The goal of this process (which Quinney describes as a "time-sucking vortex") is to avoid overspending and buying items that won't get worn. She said she has saved money by simply planning ahead.

"You cannot go to the mall blind," said Quinney, who lives in West Jordan. "Otherwise you go home broke with a bunch of cute shirts and nothing to match."

A recent Lands' End survey of 800 moms showed 75 percent believe their back-to-school budgets will be affected this fall by rising gas, grocery and living expenses. Like Quinney, many plan to use cash-saving techniques to lower their expenses for shirts, shoes and supplies for their kids.

Here are a few tips from some budget-minded Utah moms:

Debbie Brown, Murray
With seven children fairly close in age, Debbie Brown quickly learned to be frugal with back-to-school shopping. Before heading to the stores, she and her children would search for sales and make a list of what items were needed.

Brown also taught her children to shop at secondhand stores and off-price retailers. Only two of her children are still in K-12, but she said her family still works within a budget for back-to-school clothes and supplies.

"We've gotten pretty good about things," Brown said. "We've learned to really look and discuss how we were going to do this."

One trick she has is to not buy everything all at once. Her children will get a few new things for the start of the school year and then when the weather turns cool, they'll buy a little more.

Carrie Sweet, West Jordan
After three years, Carrie Sweet said it is finally time to buy her 7-year-old son a new backpack. His old one has worn out and Sweet said her philosophy with school shopping is to avoid making purchases until needed.

"If my children have enough clothes for their needs, I don't usually buy new clothes just for the sake of buying new clothes," Sweet said. "I buy what we need and nothing more."

This year, her 7-year-old will get new shoes and long pants. Her 4-year-old will also get shoes and his first backpack, but he will use clothes outgrown by his older brother.

Some of Sweet's favorite places to shop include Old Navy and Sears. She shops during the off-season and said she tries to buy well-made, "classic" items that can be passed down to younger siblings.

Debbie Hoskin, West Jordan
Back-to-school shopping is a little tricky for Debbie Hoskin. Two of her children attend year-round schools, so she must buy summer clothes in addition to fall and winter items for back-to-school.