How students can save online with back-to-school deals

From saving a few cents to a $1 million coupon off a house, online coupons are gaining steam.

While most coupons are used for cereal, yogurt, personal care products and other such items, printable coupons or electronic coupons with codes used at checkout are also popular for students looking to save money when shopping online for back-to-school items.

Some people might not want to shop online for such supplies, but at CouponShack.com, the recession has increased online coupon usage 80% in the past two years, said CEO Sok Verdery in a telephone interview.

To help students find deals on its site, and elsewhere, CouponShack has come up with a list of money saving tips for back-to-school shopping. Here are a few:

Shop early. The best deals are with limited-quantity closeout items. In trying to squeeze out the last free moments of summer, many school shoppers wait until the last minute, Verdery said. The back-to-school shopping season peaks in mid-August and continues until classes begin.