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School is right around the corner. If you’ve got one or more kids returning to school, then you’re probably looking at your monthly budget and trying to figure out ways to budget those back-to-school purchases. The National Retail Federation estimates that parents will spend on average $548.72 per K-12 student to send them back to school. If you’ve got two kids, that’s $1,097.44, and if you’ve got three kids, you’ll spend $1,646.16. Total spending for back-to-school purchases is estimated to reach $17.42 billion.

In this recession, those back-to-school purchases can seriously throw your household budget out the window. However, before you start dipping into savings or charging these purchases on a credit card, try these five tips for budgeting back-to-school purchases:

Recycle, Reuse & Borrow
Go through your kid’s closet and see what still fits from last year. Make a list of items that you can reuse this year. Go through your office supplies and compare it to what your student is going to need for the classroom. Try to use what you already have before going out and buying more. Also, talk to other parents and friends. Maybe they have an older student and don’t mind handing down clothes and school supplies that they don’t need.

Watch for Sales
Now that you know what you need, you can start to watch the discount stores for sales. Look in the newspaper or go online to get the latest information on sales. Some of these retailers will also post upcoming sales in their Twitter feed or on Facebook, so become a fan or follower and find out about the sales before others do. Plan your shopping strategy to get the best deals on the items that you need.

Check for Coupons
While you’re shifting through the newspaper or looking on their sites for sales, check out their coupon section. A few cents and dollars can add up to real savings. There are some real recessionistas on Twitter looking out for the best coupons and deals, such as @bargainbriana or @ncheapskate. Get a Twitter account and get the latest on coupons.

Buy in Bulk
You can save some serious dollars on your budget if you buy in bulk. Get together with some of the other moms in your neighborhood, and set a date to go shopping at Costco or some other wholesale discounter. You’ll be able to get what you need, below retail prices.

Buy Only What You Need
Retailers are going to constantly try to up-sell your back-to-school purchases. Whatever you do, try to only buy what you need. Bring your shopping list with you to the store, and stick to that list. Avoid temptation in the checkout aisles, and if possible leave the kids at home when you back-to-school shopping. You’ll get through the store a lot faster if your kids aren’t tagging along, asking you to buy this or that.

Remember, try to avoid putting those purchases on a credit card. If you put that $548.72 on a credit card with a 14.99% APR and only make the minimum payments of $15 per month, it is going to take you 4 years and 1 month to pay off that back-to-school purchase. You’ll pay $176.57 in interest. If you do put those purchases on a credit card, try to pay it off as soon as possible.

Tags: Monthly Budget, National Retail Federation, Three Kids