The best times for back-to-school shopping

The start of the school year is just around the corner, and you haven't shopped yet?

Don't fret. To get the best deals, it's all in the timing.

Need a sweater? Wait until later in the fall. Backpacks? Hold off until late September, if you can.

"I think it is knowing and planning ahead of time. What am I going to need in the next six months?" said Kristin Cook, managing editor of Ben's Bargains, an online deal site that put together a list of the worst things to buy right now for the back-to-school season.

Of course, some discounters have consistently low prices. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which pushes everyday low prices, has launched extra discounts for the back-to-school shopping period. Earlier this month, it launched thousands of new price cuts, including on the 10 most-searched items online. For example, $12.88 backpacks are now $7.

And you should take advantage of limited free shipping offers. Target Corp. is temporarily waiving the minimum purchase order of $25 for free shipping on all items until Saturday. However, oversize handling fees may still apply.

There are also other gimmicks. J.C. Penney, which operates 800 stores nationwide, is offering $10 haircuts for kids for grades kindergarten through sixth until Aug. 31. You can also take advantage of tax-free back-to-school shopping. Seventeen states have such sales-tax "holidays."

"Arm yourself with information," said Traci Gregorski, vice president of marketing for research firm Market Track, which tracks promotions at various retailers. Here are the best times to buy the following types of items:

Start shopping now for pens, notebooks, and other supplies.

Staples has brought back its Less List, which offers basics such as one-subject notebooks for 25 cents and two-pocket folders for 15 cents, as well as a 24-pack of Crayola crayons for 50 cents.

Wal-Mart rolled back prices on all three Texas Instrument calculators to $88. These graphing calculators, used in high school and above, are normally $96 to $125.

Target is testing a new way to shop for supplies online called School List Assist, which is an online hub that offers a selection of the most common supplies for grades kindergarten through eighth grade.

Now is a good time to stock up on summer clothing, taking advantage of clearance sales. Gap's Old Navy, for example, is offering up to 60 percent off on summer tops; Macy's is highlighting lightweight, casual dresses for teens that are $29.99 and under.

But it's best to wait to buy jeans, boots, and sweaters until well after school starts.

"The key takeaway here is that the best chance to get a deal on these fall clothing items is in October," Gregorski said.

Hold off on upgrading Apple iPhones and Apple iPads, because Apple typically announces new launches later in the fall.

But Benjamin K. Glaser, features editor at DealNews, notes that late August is the best time to buy a laptop before the Black Friday sales. Right now, the average discounts for laptops are 15 percent, but you can get 25 percent off by the end of the month, he said.