MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Summer is coming to an end. That means it is time to go back to school, and back to the store to buy school supplies. Whether it’s notebooks, binders, or even backpacks, the school supply list can seem endless and expensive.

According to the National Retail Federation, they found that families with children in elementary through high school will plan to spend an average of six hundred and eighty eight dollars on school supplies this year, an increase of about ten percent from 2016. While you might be spending a pretty penny, most people try to look for the sales.

“I came here today because of the one cent sale," said Williamston mom and teacher Aaron Mayes. Stores get especially busy as school gets closer, so they advertise their specials now to help customers who want to save.

While saving money is important to most, parents also might want to consider buying their child a laptop or calculator, both items that a child can take with them into their college years.

“I think technology is really important to have in the classroom. The only thing that we weren’t able to get today that we will still get is a graphing calculator for math," Mayes said. Most supplies have some discount applied to them, encouraging you to spend more, but make sure to have a list handy in order to know exactly what items are a necessity.