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SHOPPING Do your homework early to save on back-to-school purchases Comment By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 7, 2015 at 12:41 AM By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 7, 2015 at 12:41 AM » Social News Shoppers and consumer experts make it clear: If you don't have a back-to-school clothes shopping plan, you will spend way too much money. From online deals and coupons to phone apps and newspaper ads, there are plenty of ways to stretch your shopping dollars. But you best have a list, and like Santa, check it twice before wading into the crowd at the mall or retail stores. "The biggest mistake people make is not having a shopping list," said Jon Lal, CEO and founder of Boston-based BeFrugal.com . "Sometimes it's human nature, we mentally fast-forward to start shopping and skip over the planning part. When you go into the store without a list, you kind of de facto start doing a list based on what you see. It's much better to make the shopping list up front, it puts some rigor into the process and gives you time to think about getting the expensive shoes or less expensive shoes." Hand-in-hand with the list, Lal said, is adopting a budget. "If you have a list, it means you have to have a budget to do it. Obviously, you can't make a budget if you don't have a list." There is a wider array of shopping approaches — and ways to cut costs — than ever, said Regina Conway of Los Angeles-based Slickdeals.com . "With the ability of online shopping, mobile apps, coupons and price matching, there are a growing number of options," she said. Conway said the shopping list helps to navigate through those options. "There are a couple of ways to get in trouble when you don't shop with a list," she said. "One in three parents are influenced by their kids, according to the National Retail Federation, and that is a component for overspending. Once they are 8 or 9, they begin having more influence over what you buy." Conway suggests looking for discounted gift cards, but she cautioned that not using them is simply leaving cash lying around. When kids are involved in sports, there are also opportunities to avoid retail. "Parents can swap with other parents for equipment that has been outgrown," Conway said. "Or someone may have bought equipment and decided that sport wasn't for them." Budgets vary widely, but most everyone wants to save money, especially after seeing the cash register total. That's why Lal suggests doing at least some shopping on the Internet. "You can see a total before you're committed to paying," he said. "If you run through a cash register with 27 items in your cart, they present you with a bill for $212 or whatever. If there are four people in line behind you, at that point you're not going to change your mind. Online, you see $212 and you can edit your cart and remove three items." The real savings of digital shopping, he said, is time. "A family with two working parents doesn't have a lot of time," Lal said. "If you can save an hour by not driving to the store and back, it's a big advantage. In the physical world you're going store to store or scanning the Sunday paper and waiting for the right ads. Online, you make a few clicks and find your coupons, you save a significant amount of time." And shopping online doesn't mean forsaking local merchants, with online purchasing available at local stores ranging from Macy's in the Rogue Valley Mall to Little Feet Children's Shoes in downtown Medford. But not everyone is satisfied with online shopping. Mary Croy, a Medford mother of four with two still in high school still makes time for the brick-and-mortar stores, adopting a policy of starting early and then patiently waiting for prices to come down. She buys underwear, socks and other basics in May or June and sets them aside. "Maybe it's mostly because I worked in retail, but I refuse to pay full price for anything," she said. "I shop sales and clearance. We don't do a lot of clothes shopping at back-to-school time. They get one outfit and new shoes. We do most of the shopping at the end of September and October when the stores are getting rid of clothes and getting Christmas stock." She approaches her task armed with coupons and a short list, resulting in a trip that's quick and cost-efficient. "You look for what you are after, pay for it and leave without spending a ton of time," Croy said. "I'm always amazed that people feel like they have to buy everything at once and then pay whatever is asked of them." When the first day of school rolls around, most people will have spent more than they planned, seeking to stay in style or just simply adjusting to rising prices at every level. "Most Americans are lucky enough to where they can afford to overspend and things will all work out," Lal said. "It's not unique to back-to-school. It's pretty much seen to a degree in any kind of shopping people do." Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 541-776-4463 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GregMTBusiness , on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/greg.stiles.31 , and read his blog at www.mailtribune.com/EconomicEdge By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 7, 2015 at 12:41 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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