The kids of Newton will soon be donning new outfits, tossing backpacks over their shoulders and stepping onto buses. Parents will be attempting to capture the first-day-of-school smiles with their iPhone cameras.

What are they doing now? They’re enjoying their last moments of freedom. They’re swimming, hanging out with their friends, and eating ice cream. And they’re shopping.

Here are suggestions for stretching back-to-school dollars.

Take inventory of what you’ve already got. Have the kids try on all their clothing to see what still fits. Wash the backpacks and see how they look. Find all the school supplies and decide what is still usable.

Make a list of what’s needed. Kids who are kindergarten-aged and older can understand the difference between “wants” and “needs.” Start the shopping list with what’s essential. Then, decide which “nice-to-haves” make the cut. In many households, a new outfit to wear the first day of school is standard, but a whole new wardrobe is not. Good quality backpacks can last through several school years. Binders that are still in good shape are easily reused.

Get Ready to Store-Hop. Stores like Target and Staples are all trying to attract back-to-school shoppers. Even CVS and Walgreens are competing for these dollars. How do they lure you in? They do it by practically giving away a few select items. Their hope: Once in the store, you will just buy everything on your kids’ lists there.

Don’t fall for it!

• Right now, Staples (just over the line in Needham) is offering 1-subject notebooks for a penny apiece. Composition notebooks cost 50 cents each.
• At CVS, a lot of school supplies (including colored pencils, markers and lunch bags) are buy one, get one 50 percent off.
• Meanwhile, Walgreen's is having a buy one get one free sale on backpacks and binders.

The other items on your list may not, however, be competitively priced.

My advice: Buy the Sunday paper, consult the flyers, and run around town scooping up the deals. It may take some time, but in the end, will save a great deal of money.

Look for Low-Priced New or Gently-Used Clothing.  TJ Maxx and Marshalls on Needham Street have racks of kids’ clothes including those with “clearance” status and pricing; many great finds occur there.

And for some of the older girls in your family heading to middle school, high school or college, check out local consignment shops like The Finer Consigner, Kiki D. Design and Consign and Second Time Around.

Buy School Supplies in Bulk. Pencils don’t take up much space, and you know you’ll need them throughout the year. Bigger packs cost less per unit, so do the math and save. The same goes for other items like poster board, index cards and Post-Its. If you have the room, buy copy paper in bulk and never have to run out the night before a report is due.

Join Frequent Buyer Programs. If you shop at Staples, join their Staples Rewards program. You’ll receive quarterly gift certificates based on your spending level. Returning empty ink cartridges to the store for recycling will increase the amount of your award.

How's your back-to school shopping going? Find any great deals? Share them with the rest of Newton's parents!