(NAPSA)—Americans are taking a budget-conscious approach to shoppingfor school supplies and clothes—exploring ways to save and cut costs in tough economic times. As a result, a recent survey released by Chase Card Services, a division of JPMorgan Chase & Co. [NYSE: JPM], found that only one in five shoppers feels stressed about school shopping this year, with nearly 40 percent reporting “no stress at all.” The findings also reveal that Americans continue to have a practical mind-set when it comes to their personal financial situations and are approaching this busy shopping season with a focus on necessities. Just as in last year’s survey, only three in 10 Americans believe their personal finances are getting better. Furthermore, the majority of this year’s shoppers expect to spend about the same amount or less than last year and have plans to accomplish their spending goals. Savvy Consumers Among those whoplan to spend less, there are several methods by which they plan to get the most from their spending: 34 percent are most likely to try reusing school-related supplies; * 26 percent are mostlikely to try clipping coupons; 25 percent are mostlikely to try shopping at discount stores such as Target. The areas of school-related expenses that families are most likely to focus on when spendingless are: * Clothing: 39 percent Supplies: 25 percent eExtracurricular activities such as sports and art: 18 percent It’s importantto find resources that help keep your finances on track. * Tuition: 15 percent *Transportation: 15 percent Weekendactivities: 12 percent Extra classes or tutoring: 9 percent. Americans also recognize the value of setting a school expense budget, with more than half of shoppers indicating that having a shopping budget would be either very helpful (32 percent) or somewhat helpful (26 percent). Women are more likely to believe in the value of budgets: Sixty-four percent indicate having one would be either very or somewhat helpful, compared to 51 percent of men. In addition, those who have created budgets this year are more likely to say that their personal finances are getting better (42 percent), compared to those who have not created budgets (28 percent). It’s important to find the resources that work best to help keep your finances on track. For example, Chase Slate™ with Blueprint offers features that help shoppers track and manage their spending and pay down balances faster so they can save money on interest. With Blueprint, Slate customers can decide which purchases they want to pay in full every month, ensuring that they don’t pay interest on purchases like school supplies, clothing and gasoline, even whenthey carry a balance. It also provides a way to better manage larger purchases, such as a computer or sports equipment. For these, customerscan set up a simple plan to pay off the purchasefaster so they can save moneyoninterest. For More Information You can learn more at www. chase.com/slate. The areas of school-related expenses that families are mostlikely to focus on when spending less are: Clothing: 39 percent Supplies: 25 percent Extracurricular activities such as sports and art: 18 percent Tuition: 15 percent Transportation: 15 percent Weekendactivities: 12 percent Extra classes or tutoring: 9 percent.
