Finally, will all the money spent around back to school shopping, retailers are anxious to give you a way to give back in the process. It's a great marketing tool for them, and it really does help others, so why not?

Most places that sell school supplies will have a drop box this time of year for people to donate supplies as they shop, so go ahead and pick up an extra pack of pens for a kid in need. However, there are ways to do a bit more.

A good place to shop in general is at a site called www.goodshop.com. Up to 30% of your purchases in some cases go back to charity, and you can choose the cause you'd like to support before you buy. Finally, if you want to get involved in a bigger way, we like www.kidsinneed.net, an organization that finds kids in need and helps them out with school supplies. You can give money, supplies, or even volunteer with them.