"I'm just basically looking for my kids' supplies. I have two lists actually this is just one and I still have another one in my pocket so I'm just knocking them down one by one."
All those items add up so budget-conscious parents are heading for discount retailers. Target has slashed prices to a quarter and Staples has a number of one-cent and one-dollar deals.
But of course it's not all about price - kids always having something to say about picking out their favorite items.
"I like the colors and stuff," said one young girl who was looking at backpacks at Target with her mother.
"I'm going to look around a little more to see what else there is."
Though back-to-school sales were in full swing Friday, many parents said they would be waiting even longer, til eager retailers slashed their prices even more.