Learn creative ways to save money and create wealth every Thursday on the Evening Report at 6:00pm, by watching Change in Your Pocket.

Rolling Out School Supplies

In the heat of summer, not many kids want to think about school, but many stores are already prepared.

"Everyone wants to get the best stuff first, things like that. So I think kids are getting really excited and they`re liking what we have this year," said target Executive Team Leader Kaia Storhaug.

With four weeks until the first day of school, several places are offering bargain rates on essentials like notebooks, pencils and rulers.

"There`s ten cent, 50 cent bottles of glue, ten cent rulers we`ve had already. Ten cent bundles of paper," said Office Depot Manager Ryan Obrigewitch.

"I think the biggest question we get is, `Why so many glue sticks on the elementary level?" said Bismarck Public Schools Community Relations Director Renae Walker.

Fortunately for parents, the Bismarck school district takes out the guesswork by using the same list for every school.

"Before that, every school had their own list for every different grade. So we thought it`d be more helpful for parents to just have one list for the district, grades K-6. And it`s also a little less costly depending on what school you went to," Walker said.

One place where administrators say you shouldn`t go on the cheap: the backpack. They say you should be looking for something durable that will hold up for the entire school year.

"It doesn`t have to be the most expensive backpack. But maybe something in the mid-range, because I find that the ones that`re pretty low-cost don`t tend to last throughout the year and as a parent myself, it`s tough to find one after Christmas," Walker said.

For now, supplies are not tough to find. But managers say as August 23 approaches, certain items will be picked over.

"If you`re looking for a specific item, like a yellow notebook, it`s best to come now because it seems like once middle schools get their lists, everyone runs out quickly," Obrigewitch said.

Middle and high school age students won`t know what they need until the first few days of classes, but a trip to the store now could save you the trouble of fighting the crowd in mid-August. And it`ll likely leave a little change in your pocket.

If you`re registering your children in Bismarck, you`ll need to make an appointment. You`re asked to bring birth certificates and two proofs of address, such as a rental agreement or a utility bill. Registration normally takes about 15 minutes.