Based on a July survey of 500 U.S. households with K-12 students, the majority said they'll spend more (39 percent) or the same (41 percent) this year outfitting their kids for class than in 2009.

Among the survey's details:$550: Amount spent by the average family of four on school expenses$240: Average spending on apparel (including socks/underwear, T-shirts, sneakers and jeans)$100: Average spending on shoes$90: Average spending on school supplies94 percent: Want to stretch their back-to-school dollarsHow they're doing it:63 percent: Sticking to a budget76 percent: Shopping for clearance/sale merchandise63 percent: Clipping coupons and/or watching for store promotions51 percent: Reusing last year's items51 percent: Buying only what the school requires, not extras27 percent: Getting hand-me-downs22 percent: Shopping consignment storesOne-third: Percentage of parents buying back-to-school electronics. Most popular purchases: Computers (18 percent) and scientific calculators (16 percent)And in a finding that surprised surveyors:45 percent: Parents who said they'll dole out money for cosmetic services for their kids, including teeth whitening, waxing and even tattoos.Source: American Express Spending & Saving TrackerDistributed by Scripps Howard News Service,

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