Your Finance: Back-to-school saving

If you're paying more than 25 cents for a box for crayons, you've spent too much, according to frugalistas like Crystal Paine, known as Money Saving Mom on the Web.

Paine, part of the coupon-mom brigade that came to prominence during the recession, spends her days aggregating bargains so that her thousands of devotees don't have to do the legwork.

Whether shopping for a second-grader or a college sophomore, families are eager to save, especially with costs rising while the economy remains weak. The average cost on back-to-school spending for kindergarten through 12th grade is $688, according to the National Retail Federation, up from $603.63 last year. Getting ready for college? The average is now $907.

Here are a few buying tips from the pros:

Tara Kuczykowski, known as Deal Seeking Mom, ran the numbers and found that if she shopped her whole list for her five kids at Walmart or Target, she would have spent about $23. But if she shopped the various specials and deals at all different stores? "I would have spent $7," she says.

For Mac products, she suggests checking out resellers first to compare deals against what Apple itself is offering.

"Think ahead and buy for your children's size six months from now, and that way you won't get halfway through the school year and have to pay full price," she adds. Kuczykowski says she takes her children into stores to get measured and to try on different styles, then orders online, especially when a store's selection is lacking.