How to get the most bang for your buck on back-to-school shopping

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- New clothes, new shoes and new tech.

Families are preparing their students for the first day of class.

This year, the National Retail Federation says families with children in elementary through high school students will spend an average of $874.68.

To make sure every dollar is well spent, we called in RetailMeNot shopping expert Emily Foley.

"Hang tight, parents. We can get through this." Foley said.

For first day of school outfits, make sure you're sticking with shorts and t-shirts.

"You want to hold off on things like boots and pants and winter and fall clothes because those are just now getting into those retailers, and they're not on sale yet," Foley said.

As you're stocking up on snacks and food for lunches, Foley says one major retailer is taking the cost and stress out of shopping.

"Walmart has a new one-click food basket that provides two weeks of lunches for about $2 per day."

For school supplies, Target is offering 20 must-have school supplies for less than $20 to cover elementary school classroom essentials.

Anything else you may need likely also has a deal right now.

"Pencils, papers, crayons, paper clips, all of that sort of thing. Even Lysol wipes that teachers ask you to help them stock in their classroom. Everyone is having sales on those right now." Foley said.

Foley says most of the major retailers online or in-store have similar pricing on back-to-school essentials.

If you're shopping in-store, she suggests downloading the retailer's app or signing up for their rewards program.

If you want to shop online, Foley, one way you can make sure you're saving most is by downloading a cashback browser extension like RetailMeNot's Deal Finder.

When you're ready to check out, it automatically tries all of the coupon codes and cash-back deals it can find to ensure you get the best discount.

"If it finds a 10% discount that works, that's great, but then if it has another 25% discount that works as well, you're always going to get the highest possible deal," Foley said.

If you need to invest in new tech like laptops or accessories, Foley says Apple is specifically offering discounts for students and educators so make sure you take your school ID with you when you purchase.