Parents make this one mistake - a lot. Every year, many of them go shopping for supplies before first taking inventory of what they already have at home, said Jody Rohlena, senior editor of ShopSmart magazine.
"Don't buy what you don't need," said Rohlena. "Check in closets and drawers. You might find that you already have 5 unused notebooks and a big pack of pencils."
Retailers are betting on Facebook to hype their back to school deals.
