. It's also a good opportunity to teach teens about charitable giving.

: "Parents need to first determine how much they want to spend on their kids' clothing and school supplies, then subtract any essential items you want to ensure are bought. Then tell your teen how much money she'll have to spend at the store.

Next, you and your teen should go through his closet to assess what's needed. 'Taking an inventory of the closet is not a bad thing to do before you go,' Gurney said, to determine how much and which items are needed. It's also a good opportunity to teach teens about charitable giving. 'What charity do you want me to give it to?' That's a great thing to do.'"