Cobb County teacher Susan Kantis has learned a thing or two about saving money during her 24 years in the classroom.

Still, she can't resist buying something fresh each year for her new class of students.

Diane Stepp/dstepp@ajc.com (ENLARGE)

Teacher Susan Kantis shops for good-behavior prizes at Target and Dollar Tree.

"I can't stand it. I have to buy something new," said the Murdock Elementary kindergarten teacher. So, she squeezes her back-to-school classroom budget elsewhere.

Her favorite cost-saving ideas come from popular teacher Web sites that parents also can use.

Rather than buying educational visuals for her classroom, Kantis makes her own.

Using materials found on MrsDiminnie.com, Kantis took time this summer to create colorful displays that students can keep on their desks to reinforce learning basics such as geometric shapes and the days of the week.

She recommends the Web site busyteachercafe.com for use with older children.

"A lot of their resources are free," she said.

Kantis shops for inexpensive good-behavior prizes for her students such as small toy cars, sparkling tiaras, packs of stickers or Play-Doh.

The Dollar Tree and the dollar section at Target are two of her favorite stops for such items.

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