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 If you have school-age kids, you can't avoid back-to-school shopping.

But you can avoid breaking your back-to-school budget, say thriftiness experts Erin Huffstetler, the frugal living guide for About.com, and Steve and Annette Economides, co-authors of "America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money: Your Guide to Living Better, Spending Less, and Cashing in on Your Dreams."

The first rule is to have a plan, they say. Know when to shop, where the good deals are, and what to say to your kids if they want too much.

"Saying `no' doesn't have to be a bad thing," Huffstetler says. "It teaches money management."

Huffstetler and the Economideses offer these back-to-school bargain-hunting tips:

Shop at home first. For example, you probably have plenty of pens and pencils already.

"I think people are just in the habit of going out and shopping `new,'" Huffstetler says. "People forget to look around their house before they go."

Study savings opportunities. "Lay out all the sale ads, just like you do for groceries," Annette Economides says. "That's the ticket to major, major savings."

Shop early. "If you wait till the week before, you are not going to find the best deals," Annette Economides says.

Choose gently used (a downright trendy thing to do in tough economic times). "For clothes and things like backpacks, consider thrift and consignment shops," Steve Economides says.

Think outside the store box. Office supply stores, drug stores, even dollar stores all compete for back-to-school spending. Don't spend a lot of time and gas, though, for minor savings, Annette Economides says.

"I'm not talking about running to five different stores to save 10 cents. That's ridiculous."

Avoid unnecessary driving. Say your spouse works near a store that's offering big savings on a pricey item. Ask him to swing by on the way home and pick it up.

By: KATHY SEALE