• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, July 29, 2011

A new study from American Express reports that while parents say they will not scrimp on what kids need to start the school year, it won't be painless: They'll cut back on restaurant spending, entertaining, and their own clothing.

The average family of four expects to spend $800 on back-to-school shopping. But 67% say they will make financial trade-offs to cover it, including dining out less (53%), spending less on entertainment (39%), and buying less clothes for themselves (37%).

Clothing is expected to be the largest expense, at $290, with another $110 for shoes and $100 for school supplies. (Many parents say they are forking over more for these, as schools cut back on what they provide to kids.) But braces (at about $2,000) and new computers and laptops ($830) are also on many parents' minds.

Unlike last year, the survey also shows a slight uptick in spending on designer clothes, with 68% of parents planning to buy big-brand sneakers, 66% buying designer jeans, and 53% buying high-end shoes.

An increase in grooming is also in the cards, with parents predicting they will spend $40 on haircuts, and $70 on styling.

Another change this year -- and a sign that parents are a little less cost-focused -- is that significantly less (24%) parents say they will shop at outlet or discount stores. Some 38% plan to head to department stores. Plenty will shop online as well, with 31% saying they do so because of coupons and deals and 21% to avoid the hassles.

American Express says its Spending & Saving Tracker is based on a sample of 800-plus parents of school-age children.