With school starting soon, many Colorado families are doing their back-to-school shopping. With rising costs, many families are also looking to save money for the upcoming semester.

According to the National Retail Federation, families with children in elementary school up to high school plan to spend about $858 on back-to-school shopping, which includes school supplies, electronics and clothes. That's down from $874 last year.

First, check what you already have at home. Make a shopping list of the items you need and then set a budget.

Katie Bergman, who teaches creative writing at Aurora Central High School, recommends being flexible on the brands you're buying.

"I've noticed that the school supplies for kindergarteners are around $35 up to somewhere in the range of $50, just depending on what kind of brands you buy. If you're looking to buy the cheapest brands, those are usually going to be around $30, $35 and name brands will be more costly at $50.

Bergman also said she shops at several different places and usually finds the best deals at Walmart or Amazon.

"I do find that Walmart ultimately will always have the best pricing. Places like Amazon are good, especially if you need bulk supplies. So, Amazon is going to be great for teachers or for families with many children. You can buy, for example, a big box of highlighters and separate them among your children," said Bergman.

She added, "You can also kind of do that at Walmart, where you know the classroom supply list might have four packages of Crayola markers for a total of two students. Each will get two, and if you buy them in bulk, you'll get a better price."

Begin shopping early on or spread out the shopping over time, and shop during back-to-school sales events. Stores like Target, Walmart or Office Depot will have savings events.

You can also submit an Amazon wish list to your friends or family to make things more affordable.