Back-to-school finds for procrastinators

Many, many people have done their back-to-school shopping for already and, well, congratulations to them. They should stop reading now and enjoy the particular peace of mind that only the well-prepared can.

But this column is for my people; the last minute, still-need-to-find-a-great-deal people. Here are some tips:

-- Book Smarts: If you've got a kid in school or ever went to school, it's not a shock to find out that most people will spend a substantial chunk of their back-to-school budget on books and supplies. But, especially for the college set, it's frighteningly easy to blow their entire budget on books and supplies. Keep costs down by skipping the campus bookstore and buying textbooks online. Textbooks.com, for example, has millions of new and used books and ships orders over $25 for free.

-- Back Smarts: People may be cutting back on luxury items this year, but things like backpacks are non-negotiable. After all, kids have to have something to carry around all the other non-negotiable stuff in, right? Don't worry about spending a fortune. I found a great Spiderman satchel for under $10 and a sweet, plaid rolling number for under $20 at Target.com.

--Smart Smarts: It's easy to overspend on technology -- new gadgets are bright and shiny and new that they can be hard to resist. Show some discipline and look for dual-function gadgets to cut costs, if you do it right, in half. For the college bound, consider an iHome iPod Alarm Clock -- it's a tiny, good-looking gadget that works as a stereo for your small space while getting you up on time.

Also, there are all kinds of 3-in-1 breakfast makers where you can make coffee, toast some bread, and fry an egg at the same time. Spiffy! Available at Amazon.com starting at around $25.

The last suggestions is that you pick up an apple on you way to school on your first day. After all, it's never too early to secure your spot teacher's pet.

(Helen Malani is the Chief Shopping Expert for Shopzilla.com, a Scripps Networks Interactive company, and the largest comparison shopping search engine on the Web. Email Helen at askhelen@shopzilla.com.)

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)