Thrifty Thursdays: Back-To-School Shopping

Back-to-School sales seem to be everywhere! Even if you don’t have school aged children, this is a wonderful opportunity to stock up on supplies for the rest of the year.

It is not unheard of to be able to get pens, tape, glue, and paper for free this time of year. You just have to watch the sales.

The trick to scoring the best back-to-school deals comes from looking at the weekly ads. Pick up a Sunday paper, or search online to see what the stores are offering this week.

I like to buy things when they hit a certain price, and I get enough to last through the year. Tape on sale for just $.50 a roll? Get 10 so that you don’t have to purchase more during the holidays. Crayons for $.25? Get enough for stocking stuffers, Easter baskets, birthday goody bags, plus what you need for the school year. A little planning ahead and you can see big savings this back-to-school season.

Make sure to look for manufacturer’s coupons for your favorite school supplies. There are some great printable coupons currently available from 3M/Scotch Tape, HP Paper, and Post-its.

Before shopping, check out Target for store coupons. There have recently been a ton of coupons for school supplies, and in many cases you can find additional manufacturers coupons to stack them with. This has lead to free pens, free tape, and free highlighters with the recent sales, and there are sure to be even more freebies coming up over the next few weeks.

Don’t want to shop at multiple stores? Then Walmart is going to be your best bet. Walmart will price match other store circulars, so bring them along with you and get those great deals while shopping at only one store. You can also use manufacturer’s coupons at Walmart and they will credit any overage to the remainder of your purchase.

Staples is offering penny sales again this year. Most sales require a minimum of a $5 purchase, and limits you to 5 of the one cent items. However, many teachers and homeschoolers are reporting that with proper ID they have been able to purchase up to 25 of the penny items in a single transaction. This year’s penny sales are only lasting Sunday to Wednesday, and your best bet for grabbing these deals is on Sunday when inventory is at its best.

OfficeMax will often price match Staples and Office Depot. They have also been sending out coupons on an almost weekly basis for $5 off your purchase of $25 or more. If you have not signed up to receive emails from them, now is a great time to do so.

Some of my favorite deals this week, at these and other stores:

:: Kmart
Crayola 24ct Crayons – $.25
Elmer’s School Glue – $.25

:: AC Moore
All Crayola – B1G1 Free

:: Michaels
Crayola Art Supplies – 3 for $10

:: Staples
12pk of Eraser Caps – $.10
2pk of Sharpie Fine Tip Markers – $.25
2pk of White Out – $.50
Hammermill Copy Paper – $.50 after instant savings & easy rebate
Avery Durable View Binders – B3G1 Free

:: Toys R Us
ALL Crayola Crayons, Pencils, Markers, Paint, Dry Erase, Color Wonder & Color Explosion – B1G1 Free
FREE Lunch Kit with the purchase of any Backpack ($12.99 or more)

:: Target
Lexar 8GB USB Key – $9
Mead 5-Star 1subject Notebooks – $1

Happy Shopping!

Stephanie is the mom behind Raising A Family On A Budget. Check out her monthly posts, Thrifty Thursdays, each month on Chester County Moms.