4 stores with the best back-to-school deals
Back-to-school shopping can get overwhelming, especially if you have more than one child. Every student has his or her own distinct list of required supplies, and tracking everything down while staying within a budget can seem harder than Calculus homework. But never fear, use a little strategy and you might walk away with a few dollars to spare.
While shopping online is typically more convenient, it might actually save you money to go directly to the store in upcoming weeks. Many retailers want to get you in the door, and will offer back-to-school deals that are only available in-stores.
And of course, it pays to do some comparison shopping. You might walk into one store and find everything you need, but you’ll likely end up overpaying. All of the big stores like Walmart, Target and Office Depot post weekly ads with their newest deals online. Before you leave the house, compare the offerings to make sure you’re getting the best deal at every store. Stores will also have new deals every week, so if the price isn’t right on something you have your eye on, it might pay to wait.
And finally, before you head out to the school supplies battlefield check if your state has a sales tax holiday coming up. The tax exemptions can usually be applied to clothes and supplies costing less than $100 per item.
To help get you started, we scanned weekly ads from some major retailers. Here’s a preview of some of the best deals on school supplies for this week.
Office Depot
Few stores have more back-to-school deals than Office Depot (ODP). If you play your cards right, you could check everything off of your list in one visit! This week, a 12-pack of BIC ballpoints pens is 25 cents, a 10-pack of Crayola markers is 25 cents and a pack of college ruled filler paper is just $1. These are all limited to three per household.
As long as you spend at least $5, you can also get a composition book, a 3-pack of erasers, and 4-ounce bottle of Elmer’s glue for just 1 cent a piece.
If you’re shopping for a tween or teen, technology is clearly what they want. There are dozens of tablets and computers available, but at $229.99, it doesn’t get much cheaper than this HP Stream 13-inch computer.
Check out the weekly ad here:
Walmart
Walmart (WMT) is bursting at the seams with back-to-school deals. In the “super low” category you can get a 12-pack Crayola colored pencils for 97 cents, Elmer’s glue sticks for 25 cents, spiral notebooks for 17 cents, and wide-ruled filler paper for 82 cents.
There are also some impressive deals in the technology department. The Samsung Galaxy 9.7 tablet is just $199, and you can update your favorite student’s dorm with a Roku for $49.
Check out the weekly ad here.
Walgreens
Keep your children organized with seven 2-pocket folders for just $1, or help them brush up on geometry with protractors that are 3 for $1. Scan your Walgreens (WBA) card and you can also purchase a 10-pack of Crayola markers for just 99 cents, a backpack for $4, 10-pack PaperMate pens for 49 cents and 4-packs of markers and highlighters for just $1.
Check out the weekly ad here.
Target
Not to be outdone by competitors, Target (TGT) has a ton of great school supplies available for under a dollar. Excited shoppers can gram a 6-pack of Elmer’s glue sticks, a 10-pack of Crayola markers, sharpies, scissors, Post-its and mechanical pencils for just 99 cents.
Check out the weekly ad here.
Brittany Jones-Cooper is a writer for Yahoo Finance.
Read more:
16 states with tax-free weekends for back-to-school shopping
