Sunday morning, deep in the belly of Sunrise Mall, Reece Hartman, 16, eyeballs T-shirts at Zumiez.

Fingers slide over hangers, eyes dart from stack to stack. Eventually, the endorphins that trigger "I can't wait to wear you" will kick in.

Twenty feet away, mom surveys the situation.

"Hey Reece, look at the stuff that's on sale," says his mother, Kelsey.

More parents, 71 percent of them, according to a recent Deloitte consulting firm survey, plan on spending less for back-to-school supplies this summer than in summers past. Economic belt-tightening now includes belts.

Nationally, we'll spend an average of $594.24 on back-to-school items this year, according to the National Retail Federation's 2008 back- to-school spending survey conducted by BiGresearch.

Total spending includes clothing, shoes, school supplies and electronics or computer- related products. All categories are basically flat from a year ago as consumers try to combat rising costs. The exception is computer and electronic gear, up about $22.

In the Western United States, the average back-to-school costs are higher, $607.85. For clothing, excluding shoes, Westerners will spend an average $231.86.

"I usually try to stay under $250," says Kelsey, a Carmichael working mom, about the clothing budget.

Each summer, disagreements and generational takes on fashion and prices break out during back-to-school shopping. What with scouring malls for bargains and compromising on purchases, back-to-school shopping can be a bonding experience between parent and offspring.

"Bonding? Is that what you call it?" Kelsey cracks.

The two are out for shirts and shorts because that's pretty much what Reece wears. A trip for shoes will wait for later in the school year.

"Shoes are expensive," says Kelsey. "His (Vans) run from $75 to $125."

Pushing a jogger-stroller carrying Reece's 2-year-old brother, Kohl, she's hoping her teenage son will choose colors other than his staples, brown and black. And that he finds shirts long enough to cover his lanky, 6-foot-1 frame.

Reece's go-shopping attire is a brown T-shirt with a hole under the right sleeve. Underneath is a white T-shirt. He likes the layered look and prefers wearing white shirts under all his colored shirts.

True to Mom's description, he's also wearing brown shorts, brown ballcap and black Vans with no socks.

At the "Three for $30" T-shirt rack, Reece explains he doesn't like pink, yellow or green and is partial to blue, brown, black and gray.

"I don't like plaid, either," he says.

Rummaging through a box on the floor and the entire sale rack, he discovers four shirts he'll wear. Certain designs, along with the right colors, suit his taste. He doesn't always know why, he says, he just knows what he likes.

"Really, I only need about five shirts," Reece says. "One for each day of the week and then wash them."

He does his own washing?

"He'll do the washing only when he's got nothing to wear," adds his mom.

Shorts for his 33-34 waist size are the next item of interest. Out of the stroller, little brother Kohl scampers through the Zumiez 70 Percent Off section as Reece plucks a pair of brown shorts from a nearby rack.

Nothing else piques his interest. The sales clerk rings up $86.18, and we're off to PacSun for more shirts and shorts.

Reece will be a junior at Mira Loma High School. That means history and science classes this year. History he likes; science, he says, will depend on how it's taught. His strong subjects are math and English.

He played junior varsity basketball last year and this summer coached swimmers for the Carmichael Beavers team. He worked as a lifeguard at two pools in the Fulton-El Camino Recreation & Park District.

Snowboarding is his passion, and he'll need snow gear, including a jacket, this winter, he says.

Zumiez carries gear and clothing for skateboarders and snowboarders, but PacSun started out as a surf shop and now emphasizes both surfer and skater clothing.

Quickly sorting through stacks and stacks of brightly colored T-shirts, he chooses two.

He then rummages through shorts, finding two pairs that meet his requirements. Nothing is tried on in the fitting rooms.

"I can just look at it and tell it fits," he says.

Mom and son get out of PacSun for $85.66. Plus, Kelsey is handed a $25 PacLoot card, good to use with purchases of $50 or more during the redemption period. She doesn't think she'll be back in the store before it expires.

The day's back-to-school shopping total is $171.84.

"Got lucky today," she says. "Now we're going to get something to eat."

Call The Bee's Dan Vierria, (916) 321-1119.