As we all know, for any retailer who might have a pencil to sell, for anyone who has a child of a certain age, or for any self-supporting college student, it’s Back to School Time.

Yes folks, this is the office supply store’s version of the Christmas season. A huge percentage of office retailer’s annual income depends on these few weeks of killer sales.

You can look at any ad circulars in your local newspaper to find wonderful deals, many for under $5, and several for under $1, for school essentials.

Loose-leaf notebook paper, pencils, rulers, calculators, binders, spiral notebooks, backpacks, even laptops, net books, and software; practically any item that any student could want or need will be on sale, off and on, over the next month or so.

It all looks wonderful in those brightly colored, well laid out ads, in the paper or online; but this is a cautionary tale. Read the fine print, and plan your shopping trip carefully.

If you see “Free!” anywhere on the ad, the small print will either say, “after manufacturer’s mail in rebate,” or “with purchase of X amount of dollars.”

That’s not to say that good deals can’t be had, but never easily. With 10 to 15 items marked down to $1 or less, realize that each person is limited to 5 or fewer of each item, so you can’t really stock up unless you go shopping with someone else who doesn’t also need that item.

These free, or penny to quarter items are known to retailers as “loss leaders,” and they are designed to get the customer into the store. You will seldom see these things prominently on display up front, but nestled cozily alongside similar, regularly priced items somewhere in the middle of the store.

Read every sign in the store carefully. Make sure that it says what you think it says.

For instance, if you think it offers a “buy one, get one free” deal, make sure it doesn’t say “buy two, get one free.”

This is a common error that can cost you extra time and money. You also want to take care that the item you pick up is the one on the sign.

Check the numbers on the PUC bar and compare them to insure a match.

Then there are coupons. It matters little which store issued them since most of the office supply stores will honor each other’s coupons; but take the time to read them carefully, there is important information on the back.

Keep in mind, though, that stores will not honor coupons that, in essence, give you things for free. If you have a coupon that offers $10 off for a purchase of $10, plan to redeem that one at the store that issued it.

For some of the stores the coupons do not include technology items, and anything that has a battery or plug is considered technology. Also, some stores are contractually unable to include HP inks and toners at a discount, and coupons are not acceptable for gift cards or extended warranties; most are for supplies and furniture. This will vary from store to store. Again, always read the fine print.

This may sound crazy, but I have found that often, when offices are closing down, teachers retire, or students graduate, they will donate perfectly good binders (some four and five inches), dividers, staplers, and other, like-new items to Goodwill. I’ve seen reams of copy paper, as well as large stacks of loose-leaf binder paper, all for pennies on the dollar. This is, obviously, a hit or miss proposition, but can pay off if your timing is right. I’ve also bought every backpack I’ve ever owned either at Goodwill or a Flea Market, for next to nothing.

Another thing to keep in mind is that last year’s backpack may still be very functional, and there are probably spiral bound notebooks with unused paper in them lying around somewhere. Consult your closet, or that bottom desk drawer, or under your bed before you invest in new items. Recycle whenever possible; it’s a positive thing to not be wasteful.

Now, as for timing, my advice is to get to any store you visit for good deals on back to school items, as early as possible. I stress that this is in your best interest. This coming weekend officially kicks off back to school season for the office supply stores. Most hold a “Teacher Appreciation” event then begins hell week. Lines are extensive, and unrelenting. Get to the store of your choice when the doors open, or take along some reading material, because you’ll be there for a while. As stated earlier, this is the office supply version of black Friday and the Christmas season.

Shopping for school supplies comes down to one decision; you value your time, and you value your money, the question is this. Which one do you have more of?