Back-to-school spending is likely to cost you more this year than in years past.

According to the National Retail Foundation, parents are expected to spend about $83.6 billion this year to send their kids back to school, which is an increase of 10 percent from last year."Back-to-school season puts a lot of strain on families, and spending keeps going up every year," said Mike Sullivan, a personal finance consultant with Take Charge America, a national nonprofit credit counseling and debt management counseling agency."School budget cuts have shifted the cost of supplies to families, but savvy parents can minimize their spending without skimping on necessities."Sullivan provided tips for saving money this year:1 Repurpose: Kids need many of the same supplies every year, and items like scissors and rulers can withstand many school years. Saving even a few bucks here and there will quickly add up.2 Splurge and scrimp: You may want to splurge on a few items that are important to your kids, like a cool new backpack or high-end calculator. Then scrimp on everything else, opting for low-price and store brand glue sticks, binders and markers.3 Stick to the list: Teachers' supply lists have become more extensive - and expensive. It's smart to stick to the list and avoid impulse purchases on unnecessary items.4 Compare prices: Laptops and calculators can put a big dent in the back-to-school budget, so make sure you're getting the best price. Pick from numerous apps that track prices on costly electronics to ensure you're getting the best value.5 Wait to buy: Even better, put off purchases on pricey items until after Labor Day. Just like holiday shopping, retailers hold fire sales after the rush is over.6 Shop tax-free: Many states offer a tax-free weekend to help parents save money on back to school. Look online to see if your state participates, and take advantage of the savings.7 Find retailer deals: Retailers ramp up promotional offers as the start of school approaches. Sign up for emails and check social media pages of your kids' favorite brands, then make your purchases when you find a good deal.8 Shop secondhand: Clothing swaps are a smart choice for parents looking to exchange gently used clothing, and secondhand shops, Craigslist and eBay are good options for finding trendy and brand-name gear at a low cost.9 Include kids in the process: Give your kids a back-to-school budget for higher-price items like clothes and shoes. They'll learn an important lesson about blowing the budget on one or two pricey brand-name items or stretching their dollars for a bigger haul.More ideasWe also asked parents on social media what they do to save a few bucks when sending their progeny back to school. Here's what they had to say.Lori Devonshire: "Not really a tip but it would be nice if the schools would get the lists out early as to what we need to supply so that we can purchase them while on sale. By the time we know what the kids need, the sales are all over. When you get to junior/senior high things change. They need certain size binders, notebooks. Some subjects need certain color. So yes early would be nice."Lauren Green: "Everything is on sale since like July. Pick up a little at a time if you want. I don't think it's a big deal. Plus, if you're really tight on cash, there are places locally that give away free supplies from time to time."Jennifer Borger: "Coupons! I always buy one of those Kids Stuff books. Always have excellent deals!"Sarah Elmore: "I saved extensively through store loyalty rewards and back-to-school sales. I will state that we were not required to provide school supplies - backpacks, clothes, shoes, etc. were our back-to-school costs."Irene Lee Walker: "Dollar store."Donna Sutherland Bogert:"I always bought supply packs through the PTA. They buy exactly what the teachers want. They buy in bulk and split it out and it benefits the PTA. They also took care of students who couldn't afford the supplies.Joel Herrera: "Leave the kids home! All joking aside, Amazon."Delta Downs: "We thrift store and vintage store shop for clothes. Dollar store for some supplies, online for others. Kids start in summer shoes, and we wait to buy new shoes closer to 'real' fall. I buy backpacks during the previous year when they are on clearance for the next year."Patty Gledhill: "My tip is buy school supplies off season so you get everything super discounted at the end of the season for next year, and only purchase not-so-common items that you don't know ahead of time for the current year."Stacie Corrado-Strack: "So happy the kids have uniforms. This way there are only basics to buy. The kids got their sneakers at the outlets and thankfully are part of the Converse craze now so absurd Nike spending isn't necessary! Individuality! Richie is reusing last year's backpack because he doesn't care. There is no need to condition a child to believe they are defined by their materialistic apparel to define them. So glad we are part of the movement to "not keep up with the Jones'" and just be true to self."Ann Travis: "After elementary school, for the most part, you don't have to have the specific thing on the supply list. And I fight with my kids about how much investment to make in specific notebooks (fancy vs regular). Also, WALMART. Not Office Depot or Target unless something specific is needed. Oh, and I saw some stuff at Aldi the other day. Not a lot but a few things!"Deirdre Popp: "We buy good quality backpacks. My son's Land's End backpack lasted for five years of hard use."Patti Kenny: Start shopping early. Many stores jack up prices right before school starts. Also, it relieves the stress of not being able to find the more obscure items that sell out quickly (i.e. primary composition books, fat primary pencils.) From a teacher perspective, please have all supplies for your child the first day (or sooner if there is an open house drop-off night). Most teachers and their students organize supplies and set up notebooks/folders the first day. Adds unnecessary stress the first week for kids who don't have what they need."Elizabeth Vigue: "Amazon and using coupons that came in my email from Dick's for backpack and shoes."Jennifer Sterner: "I don't buy anything until after they have the lists from their teachers of what they need. (I learned a long time ago.) The clothing items that being uniforms makes life easy; online order new polos or pants, etc."Kelsey Boyd: "I don't get why everyone gets uptight about it. I mean you need the obvious materials for each grade. It's not like anyone's going to be punished the first week of school for not having the correct supplies. Buy a little each time you go to the store. Keep papers from previous years that have the school list to get an idea."Josh Fisher: "Pencils, cheap notebooks, maybe a folder or two and maybe a pen or two. That's all the kids ever really need for the basic classes. How hard is it for people to buy that over the course of the year?"Heather Marie: "Wait until school supply lists come out so you are not overbuying, or save them from the previous year to get an idea of what they will need and buy them when it isn't back-to-school time."