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Rising gas and food prices are putting the economic squeeze on most American households, and it’s already time to begin back-to-school shopping. Families with school-age children are ex-pected to spend over $500 on back-to-school merchandise, according to the National Retail Federation.

They’ll also likely spend many days driving from store to store to get all the right items. It’s no wonder parents are looking for creative ways to save money and limit their time in the car.

The kids may look forward to some new sneakers or the most stylish new backpack as a welcome silver lining to going back to school, but for parents finding a bargain and saving time becomes vital at this time of year. Planning,

preparation and patience can help parents save money and limit the amount of time spent in the car.

Here are some easy ways to save time and money when seeking back-to-school bar-gains this year:

• Remember that saving time is just as important as saving money. While online shopping may seem like an easy way to save time, many shoppers - including parents - are turning to a new shopping strategy that capitalizes on the Internet’s information-gather-ing power and the unbeatable immediacy of buying in a store.

NearbyNow, a California-based website, allows con-sumers to log on and search for specific merchandise at more than 200 local shopping malls across the country (go to

http://www.nearbynow.com to find a mall near you). As a bonus, some shoppers who put items on hold may even get it for free thanks to the HOLD IT. WIN IT.TM for Back to School promotion.

Using the Internet or a mobile phone, parents can check the in-store availabil-ity of a much-needed item in 10 minutes or less, and if desired, put the item on hold for pick-up at a nearby store in the mall. Shoppers receive an e-mail or text message claim check to remind them where and when to pick up the item, and the claim check may also have other special offers from nearby stores. The Near-byNow service eliminates both hours and gas spent traveling to and from multiple store locations, shipping costs and time spent waiting for

online orders to arrive.• Make your list and check

it twice. It may sound so simple, but making a list is a great organizing tactic that too many people overlook. To draw up your list, first take stock of what your kids al-ready have, and remember to think beyond just notebooks and pens. Do they need new Converse sneakers or will the pair you bought at the beginning of summer do just fine? Can they reuse last year’s backpacks, or can they use a new style with wheels? Does your teen desperately “need” a new cell phone - you know, the one that everyone has. Or does your college-bound child require a laptop? Be sure you know what you really need to buy.

• Decide on a budget and stick to it. Your budget should

Cost-saving strategies for 2008 back-to-school shoppingbe generous enough to cover all the necessities and a few “extras” to make your kid feel cool at school. Get kids involved in budgeting; it’s a great way to teach them how to manage money. Plus, if everyone knows up front how much can be spent - and on what - you’ll possibly head off a few arguments.

• Shop smart. Take advan-tage of back-to-school sales, and visit retailers’ websites to print out coupons. Many offer online-only coupons to reward committed deal-hunters. As much as possible, avoid using credit cards to fund back-to-school pur-chases of short-lived items like schoolroom supplies, backpacks, clothes or sneak-ers.

To save money on gas, consider doing your back-to-

school shopping in a single trip and carpool with other parents also tackling seasonal shopping.

“Smart shopping strategies may never really ease some kids’ desire to avoid going back to school and extend summer fun forever. But they can definitely make the back-to-school experience more cost-effective, time-friendly and stress-free for parents.