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RALEIGH -- As the economy tries to crawl out of recession, financial counselors say more consumers are saving their money to pay down debt.

"I would definitely say I'm shopping more based on the weekly sales and circulars, trying to combine that with coupons and maybe even swap for the Target brand," said Christi Natale, a shopper who is trying to save money now that she’s expecting a baby boy.

Kenneth Long, a financial counselor and president of Vision Credit Education, says more people are pinching pennies rather than spending on unnecessary items.

"For the last 10 years, people have been trying to keep up with the Joneses but I don't know if you know this -- the Joneses went to the zoo instead of Disneyland this year," he said. "So they're all trying to pay down their bills."

Long says he’s seeing layaway make a comeback and more people are also trading in their plastic for cash. That’s something Natale can relate to.

"I'm definitely using either cash or debit that's going to come directly off, just not even using credit as an option," she said.

As people and stores gear up for this year's tax-free weekend – which is next weekend -- and the back to school rush, Long says people should shop smart.

"It sounds great if you save a few percent by not paying taxes, but if you are financing it on 25 percent on the credit card, you've kind of offset your gains by 3-to1," he said.

Long thinks back-to-school shopping will be down from previous years, but about the same as last year.

Seeing more and more people come in for help, Long’s best advice is to reach out for help early while you still have options to recover financially.