i m diane dwyer. many families spent this weekend getting ready for the first day of school. children in much of san jose and san francisco are heading back to classes tomorrow. doesn t it seem kind of early? nbc bay area s ria taormina has the latest. reporter: it seems a little earlier this year. but that means they get to take their exams before christmas break. families are packing it in at the mall here and they are back-to-school shopping. and families are looking for bargains as the kid goes back to school. and they have to get their basics. families with grade school children and high schoolers are spending most of to their back-to-school budget on clothing. parents are trying to balance those costs with electronics and accessories for school like backpacks. the economy plays a big role in back-to-school preparations. we found that many families, although spending wisely, are spend morgue this year. there are things that schools require that parents have to get and