Back to school shopping can be incredibly costly. If you don’t have a plan set, it could leave your wallet much lighter than you were expecting it to.

According to CompareCards, one in three report that back-to-school shopping is more costly and stressful than holiday shopping. The same report revealed that 43% of parents are stressed about how they’ll pay for their back-to-school shopping. Back-to-school shopping can be terrifying for parents, as school supplies are both completely necessary and less cheap than they used to be. Tackling this challenge requires forethought, but a few changes can help ease the burden.

First of all, try taking stock of what you have at home before panicking for the school spending rush. Take note of what you have at home, and start organizing it all categorically. Once you’ve done this, you can shorten your shopping list accordingly. Next, because you’re planning in advance, split the purchases for what you need to get for your child. Purchasing everything at once is seldom the best option, so if you plan ahead you can make multiple purchases over time. In planning for your separate purchases, you can also take advantage of deals on products at specific stores.

Most of the best moves you can make involve slowing down. While it may seem obvious, it’s better to shop around than it is to forgo on comparing prices. You can usually get the best deals if you buy in bulk. The catch is that buying in bulk isn’t always the best option, which is another reason why networking is a great option. Try working with other parents to split bulk purchases and save money for everyone. Working with other parents in this way is both a great community networking choice and a great financial choice for everyone involved.