That means it's time to shop for school supplies. Five cent notebooks are making a come back, and with the slow economy, parents are cutting back on pricier items. But you might be surprised to learn who's else is hurting when it comes to paying for school supplies.

Sixth grade teacher Tyler Crofutt feels the pain of back to school purchases. He spends up to $500 dollars a year out of his own pocket for his students at Orchard Elementary.

"To me it's a small price to have them get the learning they need and have a fun way to do it with the supplies that we might not get otherwise," Crofutt said.

In tough economic times, teachers have had to cut back on those extra classroom supplies. "I think its been kind of hard on them," Nona Veatch, manager at The Yellow Bus, said. "Especially first year teachers. They're really going back with nothing and they're trying to make it look really full. So it's really difficult for them."

Parents are cutting back too, trying not to buy the brand-name items that could cost a buck or two more. Instead, they're sticking to the basics and begging for bargains. "I still follow the list but I think just paying attention more to where to shop and watching the sales," Becky Hatler, mother of two, said. "When my daughter picks something, the "what she wants" might not be what she gets."

If you finish your school supply shopping and realize you have anything leftover that your kids don't need this year, you can donate those supplies to local families at Montana Rescue Mission.