The sales on school supplies are winding down but there are still a few worth mentioning this week, particularly the penny deals. Better to buy extra now  than get stuck paying full price in January or February. That would never do!

Here are the top deals for the week:

All three office-supply stores are offering penny deals this week in an effort to get you in their doors to spend what's left of your back-to-school budgets. Here's a store-by-store breakdown of the very best deals on supplies typically on students' lists.

A reminder: You've got until noon Thursday to enter my Five Below back-to-school giveaway.

Just in time for back to school, Great Clips is offering a great coupon for a $6.99 haircut.

The coupon, which is printed on a slick sheet inserted into most Wednesday editions of The News & Observer, is good at 45 Triangle locations. It doesn't expire until Aug. 24, the day before most traditional schools open.

If you are a regular Great Clips customer, you may also want to inquire about another deal that many of its shops offer: Get a free haircut with the purchase of a $50 gift card. I do this and then use my coupons to make that gift card last even longer.

Two more ways to save: Great Clips will take its own expired coupons and the current coupons of its competitors. This may vary from store to store, but all the Great Clips we've used honor this policy.

If you have the often-difficult task of buying for a young teen or preteen girl, here's your chance to score some points with her.

I'm giving away a back-to-school prize pack of goodies from Five Below.

These are the best school supplies deals for the entire week. But if you want to get them tax-free, you need to hit the stores today for the last day of the tax holiday.

Before you head out the door, don't forget to clip the coupons for school supplies in today's Sunday inserts. (These are pretty rare coupons that typically are released just once a year. My favorites are the coupons on Avery binders and Five Star products.) While you're doing your pre-shopping prep work, print those Post-it Note coupons I mentioned in the Friday's freebies post. Keep reading to see how you can score another freebie with those coupons at Target this week.

Here's a store-by-store breakdown:

Who can resist a 1-cent sale? That's what the back-to-school retailers are hoping.

It makes for smart marketing, but not necessarily smart shopping. So be careful out there and read the fine print.

Here are my favorite school-supplies deals for the week with the fine print in bold to help you out:

With the tax-free weekend rapidly approaching, you may be excited to rush out and snatch up all those back-to-school bargains. But before you go on a shopping frenzy, take stock and evaluate what your children really need.
 

School open houses, for the most part, begin today.

This is a chance to meet teachers, principals, sign up for the PTA and make sure your child has all the necessary supplies.

For a complete listing, see the Durham Public Schools list.