The Best Deals on School Supplies

I can’t believe summer is coming to an end already! Our kids start school on August 15, so I have just one week to finish our school supply shopping.

This year we have a third grader and a kindergartner. I have a paper grocery bag for each child sitting on the kitchen counter. The supply list for each class is tucked inside the bag. As I add items to the bag, I cross those off the lists. Later this week, I’ll take the lists with me to the store gather the remaining supplies.

DON’T SPEND ANYTHING YET! Here’s what I do first, before buying a single item on their lists:

Check last year’s supplies before buying anything new. Durable items like scissors, backpacks, and pencil boxes don’t need to be replaced every year. You might also have loose, unused pencils and erasers.
Check our home art supply box. I often buy extra glue sticks, crayons, pencils, etc. for the kids to use at home. I still have several packages of glue sticks from last year that were never opened, and I’ll be sending those to school to ensure that the oldest items get used before I replenish with new ones.
Check our household supply stash. Like me, you may already have a stockpile of items like tissues, paper towels, Clorox wipes, baby wipes and other household items that frequently show up on school supply lists. No need to buy these items; just take from your home stash and replenish later when they’re on sale.
It’s okay to wait for a sale. If you need true school supplies like crayons, pencils, notebooks, etc. there is no better time to buy than now. But for other items (like the household supplies I just mentioned), you may be better off waiting until later to buy. Your child’s classroom will not need all 30 containers of Clorox Wipes during the first week of school. Let the teacher know that additional supplies will be coming soon!

SO WHERE DO I GET THE BEST DEALS ON SCHOOL SUPPLIES?

You’ll find the best prices by comparing all the weekly ads from your local stores, then grabbing the “loss leaders” at each store. This method requires shopping at multiple stores and can be time consuming.
After a few years of trying to pick up supplies here and there, I’ve found that Walmart typically has the best overall prices on the largest variety of school supplies, so here’s how I shop for school supplies: once I’ve pulled all the items from home that can be reused, I take the shopping list to Walmart and buy what we still need. Target is also very good if that’s more convenient for you.
The grocery stores have deeply discounted prices on some items, but they usually have a more limited selection. You may want to pick up a few items while doing your grocery shopping. Just be sure to cross them off the list after you buy so you don’t end up with duplicates!
Office supply stores like Staples or Office Max often have a small number of items at unbeatable prices. Shopping at those stores is sometimes not worth the extra stop, but if it’s convenient for you, be sure to check their weekly ads and take advantage of those deals!

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