Last August, I watched a mom in front of me at Target unload a cart that looked like it belonged to a small army. Three kids. Three separate supply lists. And a total that made my eyes water just from glancing at the screen.
She looked at me and said, “I feel like I just paid for a second mortgage.”
I laughed. But I also felt her pain. School supply shopping has become this weird, expensive ritual where a simple list of “pencils and notebooks” somehow turns into a $200 trip filled with glitter-covered binders and llama-shaped lunchboxes.
Here’s the thing I’ve learned after years of back-to-school seasons: you can get everything on the list without crying at the register. You just need a game plan. Here’s mine.
Table of Contents
- 1. Shop Your Own House First (Seriously, Look in the Couch Cushions)
- 2. Make a List. Then a Second List. Then Stick to It.
- 3. Buy in Bulk and Split With Friends (The Group Text Method)
- 4. Love Your Dollar Store (But Know Its Limits)
- 5. Check Prices Online Before You Leave the House
- 6. Hit the Back-to-School Sales (But Don’t Stop There)
- 7. Use Cashback Apps Like They Owe You Money
- 8. Love the Clearance Section (Yesterday’s Designs, Today’s Prices)
- 9. Go Generic for Almost Everything
- 10. Upcycle Old Supplies With Stickers and Washi Tape
- 11. Spend More on Things That Need to Last
- 12. Give the Kids a Budget and Let Them Choose
1. Shop Your Own House First (Seriously, Look in the Couch Cushions)
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve bought a 24-pack of pencils only to find 47 stray pencils scattered around my house. They’re in the junk drawer. They’re under the couch. They’re in last year’s backpack that somehow never got unpacked.
Before you spend a single dollar, do a supply scavenger hunt. Gather every pencil, pen, glue stick, ruler, and half-used notebook you already own. You’ll be shocked at what turns up.
Make it fun for the kids. Tell them it’s a race. Winner gets to choose the first snack of the school year. (Bribery? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely.)
Practical takeaway: Set a timer for 15 minutes tonight. Walk through your house with a box. Collect every school supply you find. Sort it on the kitchen table. You probably already own 30% of what’s on the list.
2. Make a List. Then a Second List. Then Stick to It.
I used to walk into Staples with a vague mental note: “get school stuff.” Big mistake. Huge. I’d wander the aisles, grab things that looked useful, and leave with a cart full of organizational bins and fancy erasers nobody asked for.
Now I compare the school’s supply list to what I already found in the house hunt. Whatever’s left becomes my shopping list. Then I split that into two columns: “must-haves” (pencils, notebooks, glue) and “nice-to-haves” (colorful folders, gel pens, the scented markers my daughter begs for).
Must-haves get bought first. Nice-to-haves get bought only if there’s money left.
Practical takeaway: Open your school’s supply list right now. Cross off everything you already own. The remaining items are your real list. Take a photo of it so you don’t impulse buy.
3. Buy in Bulk and Split With Friends (The Group Text Method)
A few years ago, I saw a box of 96 glue sticks for $12. That’s about 12 cents per glue stick. The 4-packs? $2 each, or 50 cents per glue stick. The bulk box was a fraction of the price.
But I don’t need 96 glue sticks. Nobody needs 96 glue sticks.
So I texted three neighbor moms: “Who wants to split the giant glue stick box?” Within an hour, all 96 were claimed. I paid $3. Each of them paid $3. Everyone got 24 glue sticks for less than the price of a single 4-pack.
Practical takeaway: Look for bulk deals on pencils, notebooks, glue sticks, and crayons. Then text your parent friends. Split the cost and the supplies. Everyone wins.
4. Love Your Dollar Store (But Know Its Limits)
The Dollar Store is a magical place for certain school supplies. Glue sticks? Yes. Erasers? Yes. Rulers, pencil cases, folders, index cards? Absolutely.
But I’ve learned the hard way not to buy certain things there. Markers dried out in a week. Backpacks fell apart by October. Scissors couldn’t cut through construction paper without a fight.
The trick is knowing which items are “disposable enough” for the dollar store and which are worth spending more on. Basics and consumables? Dollar store. Gear that needs to survive a school year? Spend a little more.
Practical takeaway: Make a list of cheap supplies: glue, erasers, pencils, folders. Buy those at the dollar store. Buy backpacks, scissors, and markers elsewhere.
5. Check Prices Online Before You Leave the House
I used to be loyal to one store. I’d just go to Target because it was familiar and I knew where everything was. Then I checked prices online one year and realized the same pack of markers was $4 cheaper at Walmart. Four dollars! For one item!
Now I do a quick price comparison before I go anywhere. Store apps, Amazon, even a quick Google search. Sometimes the difference is small. But when you’re buying 20+ items, those small differences add up to real money.
Practical takeaway: Before your next shopping trip, spend 10 minutes comparing prices online for your three most expensive items (backpack, calculator, art kit). That alone could save you $15–20.
6. Hit the Back-to-School Sales (But Don’t Stop There)
Late July through mid-August is prime time for school supply deals. Stores compete hard for your back-to-school dollars. Pencils for a penny. Notebooks for 25 cents. Glue for next to nothing.
Here’s the move: buy for the whole year during these sales, not just for September. Those 25-cent notebooks? Buy six. Those penny pencils? Buy 10 packs. You’ll need them in January anyway.
I also check the craft section during these sales. Glue guns, paint, and poster boards are often marked down too—perfect for upcoming projects.
Practical takeaway: Circle the dates of major back-to-school sales on your calendar. Stock up aggressively on basics. Future you will be so grateful.
7. Use Cashback Apps Like They Owe You Money
Ibotta, Rakuten, Fetch Rewards—these apps literally give you money for buying things you were already buying. I don’t know why more people don’t use them.
Before I shop, I check Ibotta for school supply offers. Sometimes there’s $1 back on crayons. Sometimes 50 cents back on notebooks. It adds up fast.
And Fetch Rewards? You just scan any receipt. Any receipt. From any store. You get points. Points turn into gift cards. I cashed out $40 in Target gift cards last year just from scanning my normal shopping receipts.
Practical takeaway: Download Fetch Rewards right now. It takes two minutes. Scan every receipt from here until school starts. Use the gift cards you earn for supplies.
If you love turning everyday shopping into rewards, you can also read about how I turned my crumpled receipts into free groceries.
8. Love the Clearance Section (Yesterday’s Designs, Today’s Prices)
Last year’s backpack design with last year’s pattern? It’s exactly the same backpack. But it’s half price because stores need to make room for this year’s colors.
My daughter wanted a unicorn backpack. The current season unicorn one was $40. The clearance unicorn one from last spring? $17. She didn’t care. It still had a unicorn.
Same with folders, binders, and lunchboxes. If your kid doesn’t need the absolute newest character or trend, clearance is your best friend.
Practical takeaway: Walk to the clearance section before you look at anything else. Check for backpacks, lunchboxes, and binders first. You’ll often find perfectly good items for 50% off.
9. Go Generic for Almost Everything
I have a confession. I used to buy name-brand school supplies because I thought they were “better.” Then I did a blind test with my kids. Crayola vs. generic. Elmer’s glue vs. store brand. They couldn’t tell the difference.
Now I buy generic for almost everything. Notebooks, pencils, crayons, glue sticks, rulers, scissors—the store brand works just fine. The only exceptions are specialty items (like certain art markers for my art-obsessed niece) or long-term gear that needs to survive.
Practical takeaway: Compare the price of name-brand vs. store-brand on three items this week. I bet the store brand is 30–50% cheaper. Make the switch.
10. Upcycle Old Supplies With Stickers and Washi Tape
Last year’s binder doesn’t need to be thrown away. It just needs a makeover.
My kids and I spent one afternoon covering old binders and pencil boxes with stickers, washi tape, and magazine cutouts. They looked brand new. The cost? About $3 in supplies from the dollar store. The alternative? Buying new ones for $15 each.
Same with backpacks. A quick wash and some iron-on patches can make last year’s bag feel fresh again. Not every September needs a brand new everything.
Practical takeaway: Pull out last year’s binder, pencil box, and backpack. Can they be cleaned or decorated instead of replaced? Let the kids go wild with stickers. It’s cheaper and more fun.
11. Spend More on Things That Need to Last
I just told you to buy generic and shop clearance. Now I’m telling you to spend more. Here’s why: some items are worth the investment.
A backpack that falls apart in October isn’t a bargain at any price. A scientific calculator that stops working before finals is a disaster. Good scissors, a sturdy lunchbox, a quality water bottle—these things get used every single day.
For those items, I spend more upfront so I don’t have to replace them later. One good backpack that lasts three years is cheaper than three cheap backpacks that last one year each.
Practical takeaway: Identify the three “long-term” items on your list. Spend a little more on those. Cut corners everywhere else.
12. Give the Kids a Budget and Let Them Choose
Last year, I gave my daughter $20 and said, “This is for your fun school supplies—the folders, the pens, the extras. Spend it however you want.”
She stood in the aisle for 15 minutes, comparing prices. “Mom, this 10-pack of gel pens is $5, but this 20-pack is $6. That’s a better deal.” She learned more about budgeting in that one trip than in a month of me lecturing her.
When kids have skin in the game, they suddenly care about prices. They weigh choices. They make trade-offs. It’s a real-life math lesson that doesn’t feel like school.
For more ideas on raising financially smart children, check out these fun ways to teach kids about money without boring them.
Practical takeaway: Give each school-aged child a small budget for their “extra” supplies. Let them make their own choices within that limit. Watch how quickly they become bargain hunters.
Look, back-to-school season is expensive. There’s no way around that completely. But it doesn’t have to be a financial disaster that haunts you until Halloween.
If you have older kids heading off to university, don't miss our guide on how to save money in college.
Start with tip one tonight—shop your house. Then pick two or three more from this list. Even small savings add up when you’re buying for multiple kids and multiple years.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go find where my kids hid all the scissors. Again. Some things never change.
