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Back to school time usually means shelling out a whole lot of money on brand new clothes, supplies, shoes, and even electronics. Do Your Part and shop smarter to save resources and your hard earned money.

First, take stock of what you have. Usually, rigid notebooks and binders can last longer than just one school year. And spend a little time looking for items which may be misplaced during the summer such as rulers, scissors and backpacks.

Another money saving tip is to get in the habit of packing waste free lunches. A reusable lunch box, food containers, water bottle, utensils, and cloth napkin are all you need. Make it easy on yourself and buy products in containers that can be reused such as yogurt cups or lunch meat containers. Reusing these items each day means your child will never have anything to toss in the trash!

As for back to school clothing, visit resale shops! They offer some truly incredible deals on gently used and name brand clothing, shoes, and accessories. Resale shops are also good places to sell your clothing and earn cash or store credit.

Then, there are the bigger ticket items, anything from a high-tech calculator to a new computer. You may be in luck and have a Goodwill Computer Works retail store near you where they specialize in selling refurbished computer equipment.

Do Your Part when the school bell rings this year. It just takes some smart planning and shopping to make an impact on your budget and the planet.