Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Stages

NewFolks may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

6 places to find cheap back-to-school supplies

By

Summer is winding down, and it’s time to get back-to-school shopping underway. The school supply lists are ever-changing as kids ascend to the higher grades, and it can get expensive pretty fast. Cheap back-to-school supplies are the way to go. You aren’t compromising quality, as almost everything is made the same today, anyway. If you’re wondering where to buy back-to-school supplies that won’t break your bank, we’ve found six stores with the best deals.

Amazon

Amazon has a vast array of back-to-school products on the cheap. You can find literally everything you need and even stuff you don’t. They have great deals on items like the RocketBook, which is a smart notebook where the notes go straight to the cloud. If you are looking for something to help your little ones build their math skills, Amazon is offering MathLink Cubes, which help with introduction to counting, straight through learning multiplication, meaning that these cubes will last you a few years. Crayola Ultra-Clean Washable Markers are a classroom essential, that would make a perfect first-day gift for the teacher!

Girl Coloring
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Walmart

Walmart is a great place to go when you are searching for some great deals on back-to-school supplies. As an example, Pen + Gear Blunt Kids Scissors, which is a two-pack and is less than $1. If you are looking for a good marker set for art class, a 21-count of Sharpie Permanent Markers is less than $10. This U Brands Weekly Calendar Whiteboard is a great way to keep track of all of the kids’ extracurricular activities.

Recommended Videos

Local Dollar Store

If you have a local dollar store, it’s a great place to take your child to grab some school supplies that are inexpensive. You can typically find the smaller, more necessary items here, like a box of pencils, a pencil sharpener, pens, paper, folders, etc. Make it a point to take your child to your local store to allow them to pick out items like their own folders and items like graphic-printed pencils. The larger items like backpacks, messenger bags, and lunch pails you can find in a bigger-box type store.

Related

Target

Target’s deals on back-to-school items are incredible. If your little one is looking for a lunch tote, the Thermos Athleisure Upright Lunch Kit is a great addition to their school gear and will safely tote their lunch back and forth every day. For under $10, it is a definite must-have if you are sending lunch to school with your child each day. While you are at it, you can add a really cool ice pack to their lunch bag, like the Cat & Jack™ Refreezable Ice Packs in a shark design. With a neat shark design, all the other kids will love this ice pack.

Lunchbox
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Big Lots

Big Lots is already a discounted store, so you can only imagine the deals that are coming out from them. If you have a newly-minted middle-schooler, they will love this Yoobi Mini Office Supply 8-Piece Kit. They will feel like they are getting older with their own office supplies, and being under $5, it’s a steal! Flashcards are a powerful study tool, and you can grab a pack of Bound Index Cards with Orange Cover, complete with 100 pages, and at only $1.50, you can get more than one for each subject. If you are looking for a backpack the “Gotham Guardian” Kids’ Backpack is under $10 and gets them ready for the first day of school.

Staples

Staples is practically the back-to-school destination. They typically have incredible deals on back-to-school items during the summer months to prepare for school for the upcoming fall. If you have a child that is heading into a grade where they need to begin working with calculators, the Texas Instruments TI-30XIIS 10-Digit Scientific Calculator is a good place to start. It is under $10 and a great buy. Do they need pens? BIC Round Stic Xtra-Life Ballpoint Pen has them covered with a 60-pack for under $10.

When the time comes to shop for back-to-school, these are some wonderful places to start with. They are constantly running promotions for back-to-school supplies, and they have some really great items that are on sale. You can find almost anything that you are looking for at these amazing stores. Now is the time to stock up on the essential items that your child needs for school, and you can even pick up some supplies for the new teacher, too. They always appreciate items for their classroom. Grab these great deals, now.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Jennifer Passmore
Jennifer Passmore
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jennifer has written two books on how to deal with living with chronic illness using the power of positivity. She has written…
Authoritative parenting: What you need to know
Is authoritative parenting the right style for your family?
Teenage girl fighting with parents

While everything may look like sunshine and rainbows when families post happy pictures on social media, parents know that image isn't always true life. Parenting is probably the most difficult and often thankless job you will ever have. It is the most important, though. If you're on TikTok, you've probably seen videos touting different parenting styles, like almond moms or scrunchy moms, as well as elephant parents. All the discussion about parenting styles can make new and veteran moms and dads wonder what the ideal approach to raising kids is.

In the 1960s, three main parenting types were identified and studied by developmental psychologist Diana Baumrind. These parenting styles included authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive. The 1980s brought uninvolved parenting into the mix. This style was introduced by psychologists Eleanor Maccoby and John Martin. Authoritative parenting is often confused with authoritarian, but the two are actually different. The authoritative parenting style finds a constructive medium between authoritarian and permissive parents. This balance is why many parenting experts feel it's the ideal way to raise confident and well-adjusted kiddos. So, what exactly is authoritative parenting, and is it the right style for your family?
Four main parenting styles

Read more
6 quick meal ideas for pregnant women that are still healthy
Healthy recipes perfect for pregnancy
Pregnant woman with fruit and orange juice.

Pregnancy takes a toll on the body. Not only are you tired, but you are super nauseated, your feet hurt, your back aches, and man, are you hungry! When you're pregnant, the last thing you may feel like doing is cooking. Moreover, while your tummy could be audibly rumbling (and you know you need to eat food), the smell of certain ingredients may leave you feeling less than eager or excited.
What's a ravenous soon-to-be mama to do? You know, besides ordering takeout for the millionth day in a row. Time to motivate. No need to rely on pizza again; we've got you covered in the kitchen. We're sharing six healthy pregnancy recipes that will take 30 minutes or less to prepare. They're simple, they're healthy, and they'll keep you satisfied -- so you can get back to putting up those sore feet and resting your heavy eyes.
Why nutrition is so important

We all know that it's important to eat a healthy, balanced diet at all times, especially during pregnancy, but many people don't know why it's so important. Not only does eating healthy during pregnancy help your baby grow and develop in utero, but it also helps you have a healthy pregnancy and reduces the risks of such complications as gestational diabetes, preterm birth, obesity-related complications, and in some situations preeclampsia and high blood pressure. Eating healthy can be difficult for those who don't love to cook and are accustomed to ordering in or dining out, but we try to make it as easy and uncomplicated as possible with these recipe ideas.
Go with garlic-lemon salmon

Read more
6 sleep training methods that all new parents should know
Sleep training methods when you have a new baby in the house
Infant boy sleeping on bed.

Even if you think you're ready for a newborn to take over your life, nothing prepares you for the lack of sleep and trying to establish a sleep routine. After a few restless nights, parents will try anything to get their little bundle of joy to realize how lovely sleep is. If you need a hand putting your baby down to bed at night, here are the sleep training methods all parents need to know.
The more extreme sleep training methods

These are a little more on the controversial side, but they are recognized sleep training methods.
Cry-it-out method
One of the most controversial sleep training methods is the cry-it-out method, which might be the hardest on parents. You put your child to bed as you normally would and do not, for any reason, go back into their room. If your child still takes a night feeding, you feed the baby and get right back out of the room. Experts don't even agree about if and when it's OK to go in and comfort the baby.
Chair method
The chair method is also a little controversial because it is like the cry-it-out method, except the parent is sitting in the room. You put a chair next to the crib and sit in it to comfort the baby. Once your little one is asleep, you leave. If the baby starts to cry or wakes up, you go to the chair while they fall back asleep. Each night, you move the chair a little further away from the crib. You don't pick the baby up, pat them, or do anything to soothe them but sit in the room with them.
Fading methods

Read more