How to Cut Down on Back-to-School Stress and Spending

(NewsUSA) - Sponsored News - It's an odd time of year. While there seems to still be plenty of summer left, glossy back-to-school fliers are filling mailboxes and inboxes. It's enough to give even the most easygoing parent a raging headache.

Before you grab the aspirin like it's a life preserver, take heart: Getting your kid ready for the school year doesn't have to mean cruising a packed parking lot for a space, arguing over clothes that seem better suited for a music video than for math class, or maxing out your credit cards.

The following tips will help minimize your stress levels, while saving some dollars, as the back-to-school season hits:

* Make a list. Like any good coach, draw up a game plan before you hit the mall. Make a list of what your children need (and sizes) and stick to it, just as if you were buying groceries.

* Go window shopping. A week before you head out, ask your kids to "window shop" by visiting websites of their favorite stores. Visit comparison-shopping sites to search for the best prices. Also, check for sales in the fliers in Sunday's paper or on your favorite shopping blogs.

* Search deals on the web. There are plenty of websites that offer deals for parents and kids, designed to make lives easier and cheaper. One new site is PatPat.com, an e-commerce site that has exceptional discounts in kids' clothes and accessories. By its own admission, these folks are a ragtag bunch of engineers, designers, and artists who noticed the "exceptionally high markups on top trending kid and baby products." Their answer? To create a place that hardworking moms (and dads) could find those same high-quality products they adored at "a price they could afford," without sacrificing much-needed funds ($0.99 socks, for instance). By downloading the app, you can find deals on a variety of items, check-in and share with your friends to receive points, and see super deals and freebies. In addition, you can meet other moms just like you on their Facebook group, PatPatParentingCommunity.

* Shop for essentials first. A few weeks into the school year, when peer pressure kicks in, kids are bound to come home with a list of must-haves. So buy just the essentials at the beginning of the season rather than everything at once (there will always be another sale). Insist that your kids leave the tags on their clothes until they're about to wear them and hold on to receipts so you can easily return anything they have second thoughts about.

PatPat's app is available to download for iOS and Android users. The iOS app is so popular it's now being featured as the best app for kids in the shopping category. For even more information, please visit www.patpat.com.