You are here: Home / Deals & Freebies / Babies & Kids / School Supply Deals 7/10 – 7/16/11 (Includes Price Comparison Chart)

School Supply Deals 7/10 – 7/16/11 (Includes Price Comparison Chart)

July 11, 2011 by 38 Comments

This deal has expired and may no longer be valid.

School supply sales have started and each week this season we will share a price comparison chart. It compares school supply sale prices for 30+ items at 10 different stores.

Below is a scrollable Excel-type look at this week’s comparison chart. You can also print a pdf version of it to carry with you as you shop.

Download (DOCX, 20KB)

This chart is part together in cooperation with a team of bloggers. You can check out the complete list of school supply sales and deals for each by visiting their respective websites:

CVS
KMart
Office Depot
Office Max
Rite Aid
Staples
Target
Toy’s ‘R Us
Walgreens
Walmart

Your turn: Since this is our first price comparison chart I’d love your thoughts, ideas and suggestions on how we could make this information more valuable or easier to use.

Filed Under: Babies & Kids, Back-to-school, Office Supplies Tagged With:
About Carrie Rocha

I am passionate about helping people live within their means so they can get out and stay out of debt. I live in Minneapolis, MN with my husband and two little girls.

  • Jennifer

    I love this! I am just wondering…since it is still early, how we will know if this is a rock bottom price. Can you make a note on the item or something?

    • http://www.pocketyourdollars.com Carrie Rocha

      Truth be told, I didn't keep a list last season of the rock bottom prices :( I was thinking to add a column that said "This season's rock bottom price" and track the lowest price we've seen so far. Would that help?

  • Jennifer

    I think some of your Walgreen's pencil entries are on the wrong lines. I don't know if it's my computer formatting it incorrectly, but it looks like the .79 pencils are a 3 pk rather than a 24 pk. The other pencil entries also look misplaced.

  • http://cruzinonby.blogspot.com Trina

    I LOVE this! It would be great to have something like this for grocery staples too, like milk, cereal, pasta, buns, bread, chicken, beef, etc.

  • Kriste

    Thank you so much for this list! It will be a huge help! I'm wondering what you all think of the prices Target has this week. Is $2 for 8ct Crayola washable markers a good price? Also the Elmer's glue was $1 (I think). My kids' school is requesting Elmer's only so the RoseArt isn't an option. How about $0.50-$1 for a notebook? I'm just beginning this whole school shopping thing so I'm not certain if prices will get much lower than this? Thanks for your input!

    • Leann

      My kids school has always requested certain brands for supplies, they don't want anyone singled out or some such thing. I personally ignore it. Yes, certain brands work better than others. But, I buy what I can afford. (Thanks to Carrie I can afford more!) Kids will be picked on for one thing or another we all learned to deal with it. I would rather teach them to deal with it now rather than when they are adults and realize the world isn't always equal and fair. But, like everything else, you need to make the best decision for your family. The teachers won't complain as long as the kids have the supplies they need.

      • Anne

        As I wrote in my post below I agree Leann. In my opinion, 9 times out of 10, they write specific brands for clarification not really so that you bring the exact thing. For example we write Clorox wipes, Kleenex, Ziploc bags, etc because by writing the brand name you know exactly what I am talking about, but generic or alternative brands work just fine. Hope this makes sense.

  • Debbie

    Hi Carrie! Thank you sooo much for this great chart! I wanted you to know that today I did buy two pocket folders (with and without prongs) for $0.17 each. I see CVS has them cheaper but I thought I would let you know what Walmart in Wisconsin was selling some for. :-) Love your site! Thanks again!!!

  • MaryKay

    Carrie – Thank you for all your hard work… This is super great. YES, it would be great if you added a column for “This season’s rock bottom price”. Thanks again!

  • Leann

    Carrie, you have made my life so much easier this school year!!! Thank you!! And I agree, a season's rock bottom price column would be wonderful.

  • Anne

    I agree that a rock bottom prices column would be great. I know that over the past years I have always gotten Crayola crayons for $0.25 and Elmer's Glue for $0.20 to $0.25 each. I would hold out for these prices. I also think that rock bottom for colored Pencils (crayola) is $1 for the standard pack (8? 12? I can't remember what standard packs are…I think 12). And you can usually get an 8 pack of crayola markers for $1 a pack too. I would also say $0.10 or less per notebook and folder is rock bottom…I would not pay more. (although I think 50 cents for a plastic folder is great…those are totally reusable). I am a teacher so I have bought these things each summer for the past 8 years.

    Also…I would say that in my experience, your child will not really get in trouble for not bringing the exact thing that they put on the list. Glue is glue, crayons are crayons…I am not going to think anything different of kids who bring in what they can afford/what is a good deal. I guess though that I am into saving money and that is what I care about, not what type glue a kid brings in. If they are that picky they can buy it. Sorry…getting off of my pedestal now…

  • Angie

    Carrie,

    I think this is awesome! Thank you for your hard work on this, and thank you to your team of bloggers also! I went to Target this evening and thought I'd share two prices.

    Elmer's School Glue (4 oz.) $0.40

    Crayola Crayons (24 ct) $0.40

    These were regular shelf prices as far as I could tell (no sale tags were up).

  • Jennifer

    This is awesome!! A couple others to possibly add to the list: Watercolors, dry erase markers (separate out the colored markers from other misc. markers?), 2gb jump drive, clear page protectors.

    Wondering if there may be opportunity for any of the "other supplies" requested for school: Kleenex, Clorox Wipes, Headphones, dixie cups, etc.

  • Michele

    I picked up 1 subject spiral notebooks 3/$1 @ CVS and six packs of Sharpie's for $1 @ Staples. Oh, and Expo dry rease markers were $2 @ CVS and composition notebooks for $.69 @ Walgreen's.

    Staples has a great deal if you need to spend $5 to get their penny items… Buy a ream of multipurpose paper for $5.99 and the penny items (2 each of pencil top erasers, glue, and 8 pack pens) and then fill out an online rebate for the paper worth $5.74! You'll get everything for $.31 and if you don't need the Penny items you can drop them in the donation box at the front of the store on your way out. They allow two rebates per household so do it twice to score 4 each of the penny items! Just remember that the penny prices are only good thru Wednesday.

  • Therese S.

    I remember years ago, when my daughter was in third grade, her teacher requested color folders for each subject…well one color required was purple. My husband and I drove all over town one weekend and couldn't find a purple folder. I finally bought a white folder and wrote "PURPLE" on the front and back of the folder and later found out that the teacher just laughed and told my daughter that it was ok.

    From that moment on, I refused to let a teacher tell me what to buy for my kids. My time and mone is more important than a brand or color school supply.

  • amyg

    I have 3 kids in k-5. We have the standard list of supplies but on the back to school open house , we all bring our school supplies in and they have laundry baskets for all the supplies (1 for glue, 1 for markers, 1 for folders, etc). We come in with our bag and put our offerings in the bins. The only thing they keep for themselves is their pencil case. No child knows who brought what. I like the way they do it!

    • nicki

      that is a great way except one lady i read about made her child save up for some special set of pencils he really wanted (she was trying to show him that saving up for something is worth it) and when he got to school the teacher took them and the boy was totally devistated :(

  • MK

    Seems to me I saw Sharpies 5 pack for a dollar somewhere and with Target's online coupon and their price match they would be free at Target.

    • Michele

      Staples.

  • Laura

    Last year: Walmart had spiral notebooks for .10 each.

    I remember crayola markers going down to at least $1 for a short time in July.

  • Melissa

    I just did most of my shopping at walmart.

    Generic washable markers .74

    Generic colored pencils .74

    Elmers glue .40

  • Melissa

    Submitted to soon….

    composition notebooks .40

    single subject spirals .20

    2 pocket folders w/ and w/o prongs .15

    pencils, pens and other misc. items all were really good prices if you don't mind generic on some things. Loose leaf paper was still .75 apiece so I am going to wait a little bit to see if comes down.

  • http://operation40k.blogspot.com Dannelle

    AWESOME list – I just shared the link to it with my readers. THANK YOU for your time on this :)

  • Erin

    Just wondering if you know for sure how the rewards programs work. I know at Staples I can use my Staples rewards for EasyRebate items and get the full amount back, but I can't use Staples rewards to pay for other reward items and get the full amount back. Is the same true for Office Max and Office Depot??

  • AmyR

    Hi! Carrie, thank you for this wonderful list, the tips for back-to-school and all the great advice you always offer!! I wanted to offer a money saving tip I overlooked at first but now find to help a lot: RE-USE some items from last year! My 3 kids all came home in June with almost full bottles of glue, scissors, some glue sticks (which can actually dry up easily..be sure to check them) pencil/crayon boxes, rulers and erasers. Some other things to re-use could be lunchboxes, backpacks and three ring binders. Can't wait to see your tips for school clothes….thanks again!

  • Jenny

    And teachers…..remember that if you show your ID when you shop at Staples, they will allow you to have 25 of the 1cent items instead of the limit of 2.

    I should be all set on pens and glue in my classroom at this rate. Now I need to wait for the pencils. :)

    • Ashley

      Thanks for the advice…I just stopped in today! Maybe I'm weird, but I love stocking up on school supplies for my classroom at such a cheap rate…I get excited for such great deals!!!

  • Anne

    "From that moment on, I refused to let a teacher tell me what to buy for my kids."

    Teachers are not trying to be mean or make you go into the poor house by making supply lists. I agree with getting off versions of things and getting what you can afford, but often times if you do not buy the things on the lists then the teachers have to go and buy it themselves with their own money. If you can't get it now due to budgets, just get it later when you see it on sale.

  • Mary

    Were they the washable ones? I bought the washable Crayola markers for $2 today at Target and refuse to buy the non-washable ones.

    • Kristi

      I think usually it's the regular ones but you can return later if they do.

  • Mary

    FYI – the 25 cent Crayola crayons at Toys R Us requires that you buy 4 for $1. I was going to buy only two and it would have been $1.59 for two so I sent my daughter back for more. But I know they will be used and I will save the 2 other boxes for next year.

  • Kelly

    Thank you for this. These are the prices I'm used to paying but I just moved here from out of state and I was starting to worry that I would be stuck paying a whole lot more for school supplies. This weekends offerings didn't look great.

  • janet

    I HAVE SEEN MANY PRICES AND I REMEMBER SPIRAL NOTEBOOK FOR 5 CENTS AT WALMART. CRAYOLA 24COLORS FOR 20 CENTS AND THE GLUES 15 CENTS. i USE COUPONS WHICH I GOT 2 PACKAGES OF SHARPIE MARKERS FOR FREE. PAPERMATE 20 RED PENS FOR .04 CENTS AND BIC MECHANICAL PENCILS FOR .69 CENTS AND I SAW THEM FOR 2 AT FAMILY DOLLAR. THIS WEEK THAT SAME COUPON OF BIC BUY 2 GET 1 DOLLAR OF HAVE PENS FOR 60 CENTS EACH WILL BE 20 CENTS FOR 2 PACKAGES. I LOVE TARGET BUT I ALSO VISIT WALMART. KROGER HAS CRAYOLAS 24 COLORS FOR 25 CENTS A BOX. I BELIEVE SALES WILL START BY NEXT WEEK THIS WEEK IN TARGET START 07/17/2011 BETTER THAN LAST ONE. MANUFACTURE COUPONS DOES LET YOU SAVE AND IN TARGET YOU CAN COMBINE ONE MANUFACTURE AND ONE TARGET WHICH MAKES THE PRODUCT MORE CHEAP. I ALSO HAVE TARGET CREDIT CARD WHICH GET YOU 5% OFF FROM THE 8.25% TAXES YOU ONLY PAY 3.5% TAXES.

  • http://deleted janet

    ALSO STAPLES HAS GOOD SALES FOR 1 CENTS BUT LIMIT 2 WHICH IT MAKES IT HARD BUT FREE LOVE IT SPECIALLY WHEN I HAVE 4 KIDS.

  • http://deleted janet

    KROGER CRAYOLA 24COLORS 25 CENTS LIMIT 4 HAVE TO HAVE KROGER CARD TO GET THE DISCOUNT AND THE PRICE. NOTEBOOK PAPAER I HAVE SEEN IT FOR 3/1.00 ON WALGRRENS JUST WAIT THIS WEEK OR BUY THE SPECIAL THINGS BECAUSE NEXT WEEK THE PRICES WILL GO LOW. COMPOSITION BOOKS FOR 40 CENTS AT TARGET BUT FAMILY DOLLAR WAIT AND THEY WILL BE 4/1.00

  • http://deleted janet

    SORRY FOR WRONG SPELLING BUT I AM SO SLEEPY

  • Brenda

    When will you post updated list for this week's school supplies?

  • Beth

    Last year was my sons first year in school. I kept track of the items he needed last year and when the lowest price came out. The items he needed last year were:

    Pencils- Cheapest price I saw was .09 at Walgreen the week of Aug 1-7

    Elmer's Glue sticks- Cheapest price was .19 at Walgreen week of Aug 8-14

    Washable Crayola markers- cheapest price was free after mail in rebate at Walgreen week of Aug 1-7

    Fiskars Scissors-cheapest price was .79 at Walgreen the week of Aug 1-7

    Elmer's White Glue-Cheapest price was .25 at target and Walgreen Aug 8-14

    Poly Port Folder- Cheapest price was .29 at Walgreen Aug 8-14

    There was a couple of other items but never found a really great sale on them. Just thought I would share.