School Supplies and backpacks

[sboseker]

Where is the best deals to get school supplies and backpacks?

I have Walmart, Meijer, Target, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, Big Lots.....

Thanks a bunch! I'm needing this stuff for a clothe-a-child program for back to school.

[okcoupondiva]

Walgreen's has some real good deals on school supplies starting 7/31. There are even free crayola markers advertised. Here is the link.

[JulieDB]

I guess it would depend on what you need specifically. We have never found any of the needed supplies (our schools here tend to be pretty specific) at Big Lots and frankly the quality of the pens and pencils I have bought there left a lot to be desired.

I have found many of the things we needed at Rite Aid but I would caution against buying their notebook paper. The holes tear very easily and we have bought some that were totally unusable in a notebook because the holes were cut so badly they weren't actually holes. In other words cut too close to the edge.

We have had the best luck at finding what we need at Target and they carry the reinforced Mead notebook paper. Yes, it is more expensive but it is worth it because it doesn't rip. Buying those reinforcers gets expensive and they are a PITA to keep applying them.

We have bought Notebooks at Walmart and they are cheaply made. Expect to buy 2 or 3 to last the year if you get them. But again I guess it would depend on what you need. The smaller ones seem to last longer. Seems every year my daughter needs a bigger and bigger one. And if you get the cheaper ones of those they do not last, especially being stuffed in and out of a desk. For those we go to Staples and get the expensive vinyl ones. Not the harder plastic ones with the black edge. Those are just as expensive but the plastic is brittle! Daughter broke one the first time she stuffed it into her desk. Last year the one she had made it until about 3 days before the end of school and then the cover began to rip. She could have taped it but she was just careful and managed to use it until the end.

I have gotten very good deals at Walmart with things like plain pencils, rulers, crayons and glue.

[Luv Savings]

I usually get the backpacks after school starts they go on clearance so I stock up for the following years...