Back to School: Got School Supplies?

The start of school is less than a month away—the for students in the —which means its time for many parents and students to start their back-to-school shopping.

Almost half of the parents polled in the National Retail Foundation's Back-to-School spending survey said they planned to begin shopping three weeks to a month before school started. About 5 percent of parents said they would wait until school starts or wait until after school starts to stock up on supplies, according to the NRF.

• Complete coverage: Back-to-School Guide

The NRF estimated that the average person with children in grades K-12 will spend $688.62 on their children for back-to-school shopping, up from $603.63 last year. Total spending is expected to reach $30.3 billion, according to the NRF.

Parents estimated they would spend $95.44 on supplies, and $217.88 on electronics, according to the NRF. Nearly 60 percent of families will invest in an electronic device.

The basic pens, pencils, notebooks and folders are on almost every teacher's supply list. To find a complete list for a specific grade level, contact the school or visit its website. Real Simple and Good Housekeeping also have suggested lists for students in preschool through high school.

You can buy school supplies at Staples, , Rite-Aid and , among other places. Target has some back-to-school coupons and Staples has back-to-school deals on their respective websites.

Of course, back-to-school shopping isn't just for school supplies. New clothes, new shoes and new backpacks end up on quite a few lists, too.

In the NRF survey, parents estimated they would spend an average of $246.10 on clothing and $129.20 on shoes.