What is the best place to get school supplies?

[arivecchi]

DS is going to kindy in late August and I need to get the things on his school list. It's our first year doing this, so I thought I'd ask. Where do you buy these? Does it make sense to buy them online? I avoid B&M shops whenever I can!

[AnnieW625]

Target had comparable prices for the stuff we needed this year and it was quick and easy for us. I wasn't trying to find the best deals on things though, I just wanted to get it all done, and get it done before lots of stuff went out of stock.

Stuff like Mead's 5 Star folders are really over priced at Amazon, but really as long as you know your prices or don't care and just want to get it all done in one trip or order you'll be fine ordering from Amazon.

eta: I had to buy Book Sox, and Staples had them. Last year I also shopped at Office Depot because I had a real detailed list and they did have some stuff on sale so if need be office supply stores sometimes have good deals as well esp. on folders, scissors, copy paper, and sometimes pencils. Oh and for items like Clorox wipes, kleenex, baby wipes, and paper towels I just bought what I would normally buy at Costco (and didn't buy any extra).

[brgnmom]

:yeahthat: to what Annie wrote. I ended up just doing my bts shopping for my son in one short shopping trip yesterday after he received his supply list in the mail. I figured that the time saved for us was worth it versus the small chunk of change. We made our trip to office max... Not the most cost-effective place, but I didn't feel like dealing with the lines at target over the weekend, and the customer service at my local office max was great.

I like amazon when shopping online, but ds wanted to help out with picking out the school supplies in person.

[daisysmom]

Piper lime? Zappos? Oh darn, you were on school supplies and not what I wanted to talk about... Boots or skinny jeans ;)
Just kidding ya. As much as I live to Internet instead of b&m shop, I think you may have to b&m shop for these. Last year we had to buy for pre-k and we just hit target. It was pretty enticing actually, smelled all schooly and like fall ;). This year my dd wanted to go again but we got the notice that the school buys them for our kindergarten ers and then charges our account $175 for them. Agggh, I am thinking that I may have spent a little less!!! But my dd wanted to go anyway so we got a few things for home that could seem like school at target.
Good luck!

[GaPeach_in_Ca]

I was hoping to just buy everything on Amazon, but there was a significant price difference. B&M (I do Target) tends to have the suppies discounted and Amazon has a markup, I'm guessing due to the shipping.

I just knocked it all out in one trip with the exception of headphones for my 4 yr old.

[hellokitty]

I usually jump around btwn walmart, staples and walgreens for good prices. However, if you don't have time go hit certain sales, I still think that walmart tends to have lower prices overall when it comes to school supplies. I hate going there though, it's always a mad house.

[arivecchi]

Thanks all. I think I will hit target and get the stuff that I cannot find there on Amazon.

[elektra]

We went to Target this past weekend. They had a whole section (with lots of stuff off the shelves already!) and it was easy to find the stuff on our list.
DD got to pick which color scissors she wanted and such. I like to do mostly online too but I think it was easier to just go into Target in this case.

[rlu]

I ended up buying everything at either Target, Walgreens (super convenient or else I'd just do Target) or OfficeMax.

I highly recommend buying paper reams at OfficeMax under their MaxPerks program. During certain weeks you can buy a ream of paper and have most of the price applied to your MaxPerks account as a credit you can use the next month. For example, we have to buy one ream white, one ream of Astrobright which is mega-expensive so I'm waiting for my credit from buying the ream of white paper before buying the color paper, surely they don't need 25 reams of color paper the first day of school. Most of the office supply places have sales on the reams of paper.

OfficeMax also does the MaxPerk credit deal with backpacks during certain weeks which we did last year and the backpack is holding up well. We used the credit to buy the second ream of paper requested for school plus some personal use photo paper.

[Nooknookmom]

Walmart...99 cent store....target. Sometimes the 99 cent stores supplies are top notch but other times is blah - depends on shipments. Last yr I got DD 1 1.5 in binders that went for $5 even at Walmart for .99!!!!

[ilfaith]

If you have the time and inclination to bargain hunt, it seems that every store has its different "door buster" deals. One place will have 10 cent notebooks, another will have cheap packs of pencils, and another store will deeply discount crayons.

Running from Staples to Target to Walmart with three kids in tow did not appeal to me in the least, and since their lists were pretty specific as to products (white binder, clear plastic pencil case, etc ) They wouldn't have had much say in their choices. So I just went to Target alone and was in and out in record time. Found everything but the ORANGE poly pronged pocket folder requested on DS1's supply list. If anyone sees this color, let me know (in the mea time, I substituted purple, as it was the only remaining hue...the already needed red, blue, green, yellow, and black).

[mom2khj]

I don't have the time or inclination to hunt stuff down. I buy from the school. We can order online and it's sent to the school and put in the kids classrooms before school starts, so we don't even have to deal with it.

I tried to do it on my own last year and ended spending more money and couldn't find everything they requested, forcing me to order those items separate from their online provider because it was the only place I could find them.

I will let the kids switch out their pencil boxes/bag if they don't like the one they get from the school.

[arivecchi]

Thanks all. I ended up ordering from Amazon yesterday. I just have two items left to buy at Target or Walgreens. I just wanted to get it out of the way and since I had two items on the list that were very specific and Amazon had them - done! I spent $56 I think which does not seem horrible for all the items I ordered. I just have folders left which should be easy enough to find!

[jerigirl]

I don't have the time or inclination to hunt stuff down. I buy from the school. We can order online and it's sent to the school and put in the kids classrooms before school starts, so we don't even have to deal with it.

I tried to do it on my own last year and ended spending more money and couldn't find everything they requested, forcing me to order those items separate from their online provider because it was the only place I could find them.

I will let the kids switch out their pencil boxes/bag if they don't like the one they get from the school.

Last year I shopped the sales. After multiple trips and not that much savings, I decided for this year to buy the supply pack the PTA sells. They are assembled and delivered to the classrooms at our meet the teacher event. Sooo much easier.