Sure we just celebrated the 4th of July however Frugal Divas know that shopping early means saving big time.

Below are back to school tips from BeFrugal.com founder Jon Lal for parents, teachers & college students.

Back to school money saving advice for parents and college students

1. Get organized to avoid overspending. Make a shopping list and set a budget. Look through items you already own before shopping.
2. Start early: Don’t wait until the last minute to buy the more specific back to school items on your list. The selection can get picked over as the school year approaches. Prices will drop at the last minute, so you can get a deal on more basic supplies if you aren’t picky about the type of binder or pencils you buy.
3. For clothing, consider shopping at outlet malls, discount stores like TJ Maxx and consignment shops. Some consignment stores (like Plato’s Closet) specialize in clothing for younger people. Clothing swaps are another frugal option.
4. Buy back to school items online. It offers the ability to use a promo code for immediate savings off your bill plus earning cash back, a percentage of your transaction deposited into your free account. For this reason, you can save more money (and time) by doing the following:

• • Make your purchases online whenever possible: Shopping online means one can earn cash back in addition to coupon code savings. Plus, you can shop from home and often you can get free shipping.
  • Always use an online coupon: Go online to find free coupons for purchases. It’s quick and the savings really add up. On BeFrugal the average coupon saves the shopper $27. If you have the BeFrugal free Couponomatic browser add-on, you will not even need to look for a promo code. This tool magically presents you with a drop down list of promo codes when you are at the checkout stage: http://www.befrugal.com/addon/
  • Pay with a rewards credit card: You can earn points, miles, or more cash back through your credit card in addition to using a coupon and earning online shopping cash back through a site such as BeFrugal.com. You can put the rewards toward a family vacation. Just be sure to pay off your balance and use a card that offers rewards you can use.

5.       Use your computer as a resource, even if you are going to the store to shop:

• • Online weekly ads tell you what’s on sale near you. Stores like Target, Walmart, Macy’s and more have a variety of school supplies on sale and department stores often have sales announced in their weekly ads.
  • Print coupons for free from coupon websites like BeFrugal.com. Look at printable retail coupons to save on back to school clothes, dorm furniture, computers, etc.

6.       Save on snacks & school lunches:

• • Make your own snack size packs. Buy a big quantity of snack items like crackers or nuts then portion out your own snack size amounts for lunches. There’s more value in purchasing a larger size container instead of snack size portions.
  • Reuse packaging. Instead of throwing away your money with tons of Ziploc and paper bags, buy one reusable lunch bag and some small Tupperware.
  • Sandwiches don’t have to be on bread. Sometimes other items like English muffins go on a mega-sale like buy 1 get 2 free, making them hard to pass up as a smart buy. Purchase them on sale and use them instead of bread for lunch sandwiches.

Back to school money saving advice for teachers

1.       Take advantage of teacher discounts. You can save on everything from professional clothing to supplies needed in the classroom.

2.       Consider purchasing larger volumes to lower the per unit cost of school supplies. Warehouse stores like Cosco and BJ’s can offer savings.