Lets cut to it: Back-to-school shopping can be quite the challenge.
First, its expensive.
Parents budgeted an average of $122.13 on back-to-school suppliesper kidlast year, according to the National Retail Federation.
Chris Zuppa/The Penny Hoarder
Second, its time-consuming.
And if the kids are in tow, conditions can quickly deteriorate.
And those classroom supply lists?
Dang, theyre specific.
Of course, you might never find everything you need at one store.
Thats why were here to help you out.
Probably not as good as youd like.
It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.
But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?
Ask one of these companies to help…
1.
Walmart: Does It Really Have Low Prices?
(D.C. traffic, am I right?)
Walmart offers a variety of each item, with various brands and quantities.
If you want to go cheap, you could opt for generic store brands.
Walmart was the most affordable option out of all five stores, even when it came to name brands.
I found 24-packs of Ticonderoga pencils at Walmart for $1.95.
Target only had 12-packs half as many for $2.39 each.
Did you know?
Ive always liked Target, but I was a bit disappointed in its back-to-school selection.
When available, I priced its store brand of supplies, which sometimes proved cheaper than the other stores.
Why pay four cents more for generic?
Other items were just plain overpriced.
Composition books cost 10 cents more than at Walmart.
If youre buying multiples, which youll probably have to, the difference adds up quickly.
Total price: $87.25
3.
Dollar Tree: Is $1 Actually a Good Deal?
Can I admit something?
Welp, I kinda forgot… everythings $1.
Some items, like composition notebooks, were extremely overpriced at $1 they were double Walmarts price.
Some items were cheaper than at Target and Walmart, but there was good reason.
For example, colored pencils were $1.
But you only got eight pencils per pack, and they were all neon.
The most frustrating thing was not being able to find everything on my list.
I was missing seven items when I left the store.
And if Id purchased the items that were available?
Id be sending my kid off to school with neon pencils.
Youll just wind up driving across town to Walmart.
Total price: n/a
4.
Staples: Will You Pay More Just to Avoid the Toy Aisle?
Staples is an obvious choice when it comes to back-to-school shopping, right?
After all, this is its speciality.
And heres a perk: You wont have worry about herding your kids away from the toy aisle.
I felt giddy when I found 97-cent colored pencils and $3.99 packs of copy paper.
Disinfectant wipes cost a full dollar more at Staples than at Walmart.
Even hand sanitizer a smaller bottle cost more.
If youre buying multiples, your total will add up fast.
Total price: $101.18 (excluding gallon baggies)
5.
CVS: How Much Will You Pay for Convenience?
After all, theres basically one on every corner.
I was hoping to tell you that CVS is a convenient option for back-to-school shopping, but…
Even with BOGO 50% deals for CVS members, youll likely wind up paying more.
Plus, you might not need two pairs of scissors or two packs of dry-erase markers.
I suppose if youresuperdesperate at the last minute, pop into CVS for an item or two.
But go armed with some extra cash.
Total price: $124.95 (excluding big erasers)
Where to Go for Back-to-School Supplies
Yall.
When I got home, I was exhausted.
In terms of pricing,Walmartbeat out the other stores by up to 43%.
Thats a savings of nearly half built in no coupons, no sales, no cash-back apps.
At the end of the day, all I can say is…
Kudos to the parents who are embarking on back-to-school shopping adventures this year.
Im thankful I have a little more time to practice.
Carson Kohler ([email protected]) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
She used to love back-to-school shopping.
When you log into your bank account, how do your savings look?
Probably not as good as youd like.
It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.
But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?
