Get head start on back-to-school shopping

ALBANY - When it comes to back-to-school shopping, the number one piece of advice is shop early. Don't wait until Labor Day to head out with the list the teacher sent home. Give it time to search for the best deals on school supplies.

Peggy Carmello of Albany is on a mission, school shopping for three children on a strict budget.

"Oh it's hard. It's tough. You have to kind of really buy a little here and there," Carmello said.

She's figures it'll cost $30 to $40 a child, not counting backpacks and clothes. So Carmello has to spread it out and scour for sales.

"Composition notebooks are usually two to three bucks, and they're only seventy cents. So that's not bad," she pointed out.

She's also loaded up on notebooks at Staples, where for just four days they're on sale for a penny a piece.

"Well I usually try to find something that's on sale and buy a lot of it. So I know I'm always going to need crayons and notebooks. So these for a penny is a good deal. I'm getting a bunch," said Colleen Bonacci if Glenmont.

The sales are on. The Sunday circular is your guide. If you shop in multiple places and give your self time, you can save before things start to run out.

"The week of Labor Day it's going to be hectic and there's going to be no selection," warned Mark Siciliano of the Glenmont Staples. "So get in there early and get things before the color you need runs out."

Here's another way to save. Say you need a red binder, but the only one you can find is $3.99. Try taking a white binder for under $3 and slip a piece of red paper inside the clear plastic cover.

Many times, plain is cheaper. A notebook with a puppy picture costs nearly $3 more than the plain one.

Bottom line, look for the deals wherever you go.