In traveling to and from the La Crosse Interstate Fair, I was thinking about what to write about in upcoming news columns. I know it is normally shortly after the fair that the first “back to school” specials are advertised.

Needless to say, on the final day of the fair, I opened the Sunday newspaper and sure enough, that is what I found.

Recognizing that most people are feeling the financial pain at the gas pump, a well-planned budget and smart shopping can help to prevent that same pain from spreading to the classroom. Resource management specialists tell us that families should save money for occasional expenses like back-to-school and the holidays.

But that can be difficult to do, especially with the costs of just about everything continuing to increase over the past year.

It is tempting when occasional expenses come up to charge things and use credit to pay for them. But even when you decide to use credit, you still should have a plan for how you’re going to pay off that credit debt. America continues to have a negative savings rate because people spend more than they earn by using credit to purchase items for which they haven’t planned or saved.

Planning for your spending extends beyond occasional expenses to daily ones, like grocery shopping. Families can reduce unnecessary grocery costs by taking inventory of what they already have in the house, making a list of necessities and sticking to it.

Families who cannot make ends meet have three options — raise income, reduce expenses, or a combination of both. Even families who have a spending plan or budget that has been working are going to have to make revisions for increased prices. Some of the items that we think we have to have might have to go; they might have to return to basic cable or cell phone plans.

Another luxury families can no longer afford is traveling from store to store to compare prices. We have always suggested comparison shopping, but instead of going from one end of the city to the other, families will need to use those advertisements in newspapers or on the Internet to make comparisons instead.

If you don’t have a subscription to a newspaper, then you might want to consider buying a newspaper on the newsstands — especially on weekends — that’s going to have many of the store advertisements in it. Or plan a trip to the library as a part of your family activities, and review the advertisements while you are there.

If you plan to shop online, be sure it’s a secured site, and make special note of return policies and methods of payment.

The back-to-school sales are generally advertised in the newspapers. However, you might find even bigger discounts on items your children need shortly after school starts.

You might want to put off some of your purchases until then and you might find a bigger discount, and have a month to save to help pay for your purchases.

Some families might not need to purchase certain school supplies at all. Just as I recommended taking inventory of food items you already have at home before you go grocery shopping, check to see what school supplies you have on hand or left over from previous years. Things like back packs or book bags can be used more than one year.

For more advice on back-to-school budget management, click on the “Calculators” link at www.practicalmoneyskills.com and you will find a back-to-school budget calculator. You can use this year’s back-to-school shopping experience as an opportunity to help your children learn and develop smart money management skills.

For more information or to make comments on the information contained in Coulee Consumer, write to La Crosse County UW-Extension, Attention: Coulee Consumer, 400 N. Fourth St., La Crosse, WI 54601, or call (608) 785-9593.