By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
alancleaver_2000/flickr
I welcome back to school supply sales because each year I run an arts and crafts tent at Children’s Day 2011 in Woodley Park, Los Angeles. This is an enormous free fair for families that tens of thousands of people attend. I expect to have around 7,000 craft projects made in my tent during the day.
That is a lot of craft supplies! I work all year to gather supplies at rock bottom prices from estate sales, clearance racks, and on freecycle.
Today when I entered Walmart and saw bins of deeply discounted school supplies I was really excited. I told my daughter, “Go grab a cart. We’re going shopping.”
The main items I wanted to get were glue sticks. I needed about 200. Walmart had packages of two sticks for 40 cents. Around the corner there were packages of 12 sticks of the exact same size and brand for $3.88.
Folders are $.05 at Office Depot starting 7/31/11
This week’s back to school deals at the office supply chains are better than last week, and I predict they will continue to get even better. Not that you should wait to shop. These are time-limited deals, so stop by (and try to resist non-sale items) weekly on Sunday, if you can. That’s when the sale cycle starts. If you wait until September, only that week’s deals will be available!
Office Depot deals starting Sunday July 31, 2011
- Free backpack and lunch tote w/$15 minimum purchase (my note: the “free” backpacks may be pre-selected and not include every option)
- 5 cent paper pocket folders
- 5 cent pencil pouch
- 5 cent protractor
Office Max deals starting Sunday, July 31, 2011
- 1 cent 24-Pack Schoolio Crayons
- 1 cent 12” Wood Ruler with Metal Edge
- 10 cent 10-Pack Dixon #2 Pencils
- 50 cent 100-Sheet Schoolio Composition Book
- 50 cent OfficeMax Glue Stick Bonus Packs
- Teacher appreciation days July 31-Aug. 1, a FREE reusable tote, plus 20% off everything that fits inside, and FREE giveaways for the first 150 teachers (desk calendar filled with coupons for the year, Post-It, Sharpie, Expo,copies of school supply lists)
Updates from Staples coming soon!
tcoffey / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Despite the denial of many kids and grown ups, back to school season is upon us. With school budgets shrinking, student supply lists are getting longer as teachers rely on families to equip the classroom. Can you believe some schools are requiring students to bring their own electronics?
Don’t fear, we’ve got a list of gadgets you’ll most likely need and tips on how to get a discount.
USB flash drives – There’s going to be a lot of typing in middle school and flash drives (aka thumb drives) are a cinch to use on different computers to allow your student to save his or her work and plug it into another computer later. You can now find thumb drives with cute designs like
4-pack of glue sticks are $.25 at Office Depot!
This week’s back to school deals are hot! Stock up on what you need, no matter if you have kids in school. Note: OfficeMax deals to come (later today I hope!)
Office Depot Deals Sunday, July 24-30, 2011
- $1.00 Fiskars kids scissors
- 1 cent pencil sharpener
- $1.00 ream of paper after MIR
- 25 cent Foray dry erase markers, 2PK
- 25 cent Scholastic glue sticks, 4PK
- 25 cent poly pocket folders
Staples Deals through July 23, 2011
Is summer ending? Back to school sales say...yes.
I’ve done my best to ignore rumblings of back to school sales, but these deals from Office Max and Kohl’s are good enough to give up the ghost. Summer is half-over. Coincidence that we’re having crisp fall weather today? Hmmm…Take advantage of these deals whether or not you have a student at home.
Office Depot back to school deals starting Sunday, July 17, 2011
- 2 for $1 Sharpie singles
- $1 ream of paper (after mail-in-rebate)
- 10 paper pocket folders for $1.00
- 25 cent filler paper
- 25 cent ruler
- 25 cent Crayola 24 count crayons
- 25 cent Office Depot 10 pack of stick pens
OfficeMax deals July 17-July 23, 2011
- 1¢ OfficeMax College or Wide Rule Paper, 100-Sheets
- 25¢ Schoolio Crayons, 24-Pack
- 25¢ OfficeMax Clear Zippered Binder Pocket
- 50¢ Just Basics Ballpoint Pens, 10-Pack
- 75¢ Schoolio100-Count Composition Books
Kohl’s back to college sales
- Entire stock of dorm room student lounge furniture and accessories are 40-50% off
- Unclear when dorm room sale ends
GAP
- Backpacks are on sale by 30% off for a limited time online and in stores. I didn’t even know Gap sold backpacks! Shipping is free.
Each week Yazmin or I will write up the best back to school deals. If you hear of any, shoot us an email.
Keep this kitty safe! Get a free pet safety kit. Credit: HobanNYC/Flickr
So many great freebies and coupons today – 13 total!
Free Larabars – Get a free Larabar at Safeway when you fill out this voucher form. Expires June 1, 2011.
Free movie rental – Rent a movie for free with Blockbuster Express coupon code 28CHD4X. Expires Feb. 3, 2011. May not work on premium movies.
Free pet safety kit - Get a free pet safety kit from the ASPCA. Unclear how long this will last. (more…)
gabrielsaldana / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
The preppy look is back this season, among other fashion trends. Gals and guys are sporting their polo shirts, pressed khakis and sweater vests. The look that traditionally screams “expensive!” does not have to cost you a whole lot. Heres how to get the look on a budget.
Start by asking if older siblings, parents or grandparent might have clothes and accessories in their closets that fit the fad – and wont cost you a dime. Perhaps you can help them clean ot their closets in the process or give new glory to under appreciated clothes. If you plan to tailor the clothes to fit, make sure your relative is giving it to you. Don’t modify a loaner.
Check the sale racks at preppy stores like Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, J.Crew, Nautica or plunder your local thrift stores. If you’d rather not wait, try stores that sell similar clothes and accessories for a fraction of the cost. Here is where I would shop: (more…)
Illustration by OConnorCartoons.com
Back to school – Vista Print is offering 10 freebies right now, many of which can be used as back to school supplies. Unclear how long the promotion lasts.
Restaurant.com – The latest Restaurant.com coupon code gets you 80% off! Expires Aug. 31, 2010.
Free sample – Get a free sample of Aveeno Nourish shampoo and condition for sharing a little info about yourself. Unclear when this offer ends.
Big sale at Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic - Starting tomorrow through Sunday (Aug. 26-29) there is a big ol’ 30% off sale at Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic. You can feel good about spending, too, because 5% of what you buy goes to a charity of your choosing. I want a new sweater!
Free movie rental – Rent one movie from Blockbuster Express and get the second movie rental free. Expires today!
Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog.
Home decor from Dollar Tree: SavinSome.com
Every Friday I link to my favorite money-saving posts. If you came across a great money-saving tip, please link to it in the comments.
If you’re interested in being a mystery shopper, make sure to read Nicole’s Nickels post about mystery shopping FAQs.
Create back to school traditions to get your kids excited for learning, says Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.
Stock up on these eight green back to school supplies, courtesy of Bargain Briana.
Think the dollar stores are full of junk? Brandy at SavinSome will prove you wrong with her ye for frugal home decor.
How much food do you waste each week? Nikki at CouponCookin has tips to reduce food waste.
Kacy at Valuing Today shares a personal story about cutting her medical bills by negotiating monthly payments with her doctor and dentist.
Do you plan to buy back to school supplies at your local dollar store? My feeling is back to school supplies do not need to be high quality, with the exception of a sturdy backpack. Pens, pencils, and lunch boxes will disappear like that, so why invest a lot in them?
I’ve seen notebooks, pencils, loose paper, pens, folders, and pen/pencil cases for $1 each at the Dollar Tree. And the latest 99 Cent Only Stores ad (locations in CA, AZ, NV, and TX) advertises the following items for $1 each:
- 12-pack of Paper Mate pens
- 5-pack of mechanical pencils
- 8-pack colored pencils
- 12-pack of crayons (more…)
stevendepolo/Flickr
This is a guest blog post by Stella Louise, editor of the personal finance blog at Savings.com. She is very grateful she only had to suffer through one year of geometry.
I recently researched back to school supplies and was astounded at how much is required to properly equip a child for the new school semester. At the risk of sounding like my parents, when I was a kid back to school shopping mainly consisted of a brand new pair of shoes and some updates to the wardrobe plus a couple of notebooks and some pencils.
But as school budgets cuts have increased with the ailing economy, more and more of the slashed funding has been offloaded to external sources. This explains not only the increase of school fundraisers, such as the adorable third grader from down the street panhandling $5 chocolate bars door-to-door, but also the increasingly gargantuan back to school supply lists.
When I was a kid (and granted, this was EONS ago…), I recall having an art independent study class where I painted for the entire semester. Canvas after canvas using the entire spectrum of acrylic paints and brushes of varying width and thickness to create my “masterpieces.” I ended up being voted (more…)
kirstiecat/Flickr
If you missed me this morning on Martha Stewart Living radio, I talked about reducing overall expenses and deciding what is a “need” and what is a “want” item.
Absolute necessities - Send your student packing with basic toiletries like shampoo, deodorant, and toothpaste. Basic bedding and clothes are necessities, as are a few notebooks, a pencil, and a pen.
Bedding – Use sheets and pillows you already have (no one sees them, anyway) but look for a sale on a new comforter or quilt to make everything feel new. If extra long sheets are needed, send your student to college with an extra flat sheet and they can fold the corners themselves. Or, head to Target for a $10 extra-long Jersey sheet set.
If you are worried about bedbugs, buy a mattress protector but skip a pricey mattress enhancer. If the bed is not comfortable, pick up a piece of egg crate foam, which is super cheap.
Computer – Wait to buy a computer until your student arrives at school and finds out if the college has specific computer requirements. Some schools, like Wake Forest in North Carolina, give each student a free computer and color printer/scanner/copier. Wow!
Textbooks - Your student can download a free eReader app to their smart phone or computer and find free copies of classics by Jane Austin and others in the public domain. Borders alone has more than 1 million free eBooks.
Buy used textbooks – and not just from the school bookstore but on Craigslist, eBay, and Amazon. Amazon offers students get a free Amazon Prime membership, which comes with free 2-day shipping. A Prime membership usually costs $79.
Rent a text book from Chegg.com, which has a 30-day “any reason” return policy. You’ll pay about 50-70% less than buying a book outright, and you don’t have to worry about selling your books at the end of the semester.
Try swapping for textbooks on sites like BookMooch.com, but don’t expect many textbooks.
Go digital by checking the distributors website to see if you can purchase an electronic copy of the textbook. They save on ink, paper, and transportation, so the cost goes down significantly. A friend once got a $115 economics textbook for $40. If you can bring it on your laptop to class, then youre set.
Kitchen - Most frosh are on a meal plan, so they don’t need anything but perhaps a coffee maker (which every garage sale across America has). For students not on a meal plan, stock up on silverware, plates, cups, appliances at the nearest Goodwill for $15-$20.
Furniture - Are you kidding me? Dorms rooms are teeny tiny and students are required to keep in their room any furniture provided by the school.
Humidifier – Send a humidifier when temps drop (assuming your student lives in a cold, dry climate). It is hard to sleep in super dry conditions and lack of sleep may make them more prone to colds and missing class. (Just a hunch on that last one.)
Buy used - Avoid getting sucked into the mentality that everything has to be new. Going to college is a special experience, but spending a lot of money outfitting a dorm doesn’t make it so. Before you head to the store, raid the attic, go to garage sales, and search Craigslist.
Let them decide - Another strategy to save is to give your student a budget and let them prioritize what to buy. Putting them in charge – while still helping find deals to stretch their dollar – may well motivate them to become savvy shoppers and help them separate “needs” versus “wants.”
Shop the dollar stores - Your student is not going to cart a lot of this stuff home every summer so there is no point in spending money on items that don’t have a lone lifetime, like a plastic shower caddy.
Create rewards for luxuries - Reward student for good grades and similar achievements with luxuries they want, like a mini fridge if they earn straight A’s.
Use coupons - But of course! Check the retailer’s website for coupons before you shop and save the ones you receive in the mail. Make sure to get toiletries on sale and use a coupon whenever possible!
Remember, if a student really needs something s/he will keep asking for it!
LXH/Flickr
I’m scheduled to be on Martha Stewart Living radio tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. EST. That’s an early 5:30 a.m. for you west coasters!
You can hear the show on Sirius satellite radio channel 112. I’ll be sharing tips to manage back to college expenses on the Morning Living show with host Kim. If you miss the segment, I’ll write up my tips in a blog post for Wednesday.
~Julia
Michiel Van Balen/Flickr
Staples - Get a free backpack while supplies last.
Back to school deals - Here are all the back to school deals and freebies I found this week. Got any to add?
Borders – Here is a Borders coupon for 33% off most items, including online purchases. Expires July 29, 2010.
Hotel deal - Get a cheap hotel stay at Red Roof (15% 0ff) when you stay three nights, or two if you are military personnel.
Check out all the coupons and deals I share on my WalletPop blog.
My frugal friends at Savings.com (belatedly) shared these coupons.
Get $15 off $75 at Smashbox. Expiration date unknown.
Get $15 off $75 at Urban Outfitters. Expires April 28, 2010.
Get 20% off any single item at Gaiam. Expires April 30, 2010.
Get 20% off women’s apparel with free shipping at Reebok. Expires April 30, 2010.
