It’s pretty apparent that companies like to remind us that even though it’s still summer, if we’re a parent we should already be thinking about back-to-school shopping. In fact, according to a new survey by FatWallet, you may want to start hitting the stores now, because two-thirds of parents say stores offer the best back-to-school prices in July and August, and with 40% of parents saying finding the lowest price is important when back to school shopping, it sounds like we should all start getting busy.

But even if they’re looking for the best deals, it seems parents aren’t expecting to get away cheap overall. The survey found that 91% of parents expect to spend the same or more than they did last year.

As for how they’ll be doing their shopping, 52% will buy their items online, with 57% of parents using their smartphones to shop, 32% using them for mobile purchases and 25% using them to research and comparison shop.

And if you’re a procrastinator who doesn’t want to think about back-to-school for several more weeks, you may still wind up with a deal. The survey found that 21% of parents say the best deals can be found after school starts.

Source: FatWallet