Reducing back-to-school sticker shock

(NC)- Back-to-school is among the year's second-busiest shopping periods behind Christmas. With rising gas and food prices, and increasingly busier schedules, families may be facing increased challenges, growing shopping bills, and hours spent shuttling between retail shops.

Gail Galea, vice-president of merchandise at Wal-Mart Canada, suggests a few tips to reduce the financial and time challenges of heading back to school.

Plan ahead and set a budget

First, make - and agree upon - a thorough and accurate shopping list that will keep your spending and kids' expectations in check. This will make budgeting easier and help teach students, young and old, the value of a dollar.

"This year, with a tough economy and back-to-school stress growing, we've introduced more rollback price reductions than ever before," says Wal-Mart's Galea. "We're helping families get the things they need, but also those they want, too."

Get your kids involved

Don't let your kids derail your budget. Instead, make it their responsibility.

For young kids, let them hold and check items off the list.

For older kids, fill up a pre-loaded Wal-Mart gift card and send them on their way for a one-day shopping venture or even a whole semester away.

Shop during off-peak hours

Dreading back-to-school crowds? Look for retailers with later hours or 24-hour openings. "At this time of year, our customers love the opportunity to zip out to pick up a forgotten item or their entire list once the kids are in bed," says Galea, noting many Wal-Mart stores have year-long extended hours, in some cases around the clock. Visit walmart.ca for specific store hours.

Do the one-stop shop

Save time and money by shopping in one place. You'll be able to enjoy more time during the final days of summer and save on gas by eliminating the need to drive far and wide.