School Supply Deals'n Steals???

[shelbylovesmelby]

My oldest dd is starting an Early Education class & I need to buy her some school supplies & of course I don't want to pay full price either!

I wanted to know who has the best deals & when?

[PrincessPerky]

IMO don't...

As a former teacher who watched countless kids come in day one with loads of new pristine things, only to return in the blink of an eye with broken pencils, melted crayons and ripped backpacks, I think it is a major waste of funds.

I highly recomend looking in your cupboard for crayons..one of each primary color and the secondary, plus black, white is optional. then look for a pencil, mom or dads old one is usually good to keep a kid happy.

book covers use the grocery bags, get your kid to decorate.

Folders you really have non in the house? ask around you can prolly find one (Ill mail you some!)

Backpacks, buy good and use it from now till eternity, I have mine from highschool, worked great for all 4 years, plus the next err umm awhile..it is still here anyway..15 years maybe?

Course my first impulse would actually be not to send them at all but that is totally different

[flash]

I agree with PP...but also, you'd be surprised what they have in dollar stores, but will be sold out of by August.

Most stores will have special offers over the next two months...such as staples will have crayons for 10 cents or something, one week, and free pencil case the next...they assume you will purchase everything else while you are there.

Last year our local grocery store did a special deal, buy stationery school products there, get $8 check out coupon for your next shopping trip...which became perpetual...buy $8 worth, get the coupon, buy another $8 with, use the coupon and receive another...

If you can afford to shop multiple stores and be patient, you can get great deals.

PP -- I hope you are going to the teachers discount days at Staples and Office Depot...my sister the teachers says they are well worth it.

[debtfreeme]

the sales started here in ca last sunday. take a look at inserts in your newspaper now for the deals. look at them all and compare.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

If Early Education means preschool, then it is quite likely that you will NOT be asked to supply your child with her own paper, markers, glue, etc. In preschools, it is quite common for children to use materials from a common pot, partly because the kids are not able to keep track of "mine" vs "theirs" as easily as an older child can. So, if you don't have a list from the school, don't just go out and buy things. even if the bargain looks good. The school might supply everything.

Having common pots of supplies can actually be educational for preschoolers. They get to do things like pick up all the green markers and put them all in one box to be put away, then do the same with red, then with blue. It helps them to sort, categorize, to learn colors, to count and even to compare quantities and just to THINK. Imagine: "Uht-oh! Five green markers, but only four red markers. Five kids at my table. I think we're missing a red one. Where could it be? Oh, these markers are round; they roll; so maybe a red one rolled to the floor."

On the other hand, a lot of materials used in preschool would be good to have at home, so if you don't have them, the summer sales would be a good time to get them for home.

[4TimesCharmed]

I would ask the teacher what is needed. They only thing we were asked to bring was baby wipes and sanitizing gel. I sent a case of baby wipes and a huge bottle of gel. Believe me the second month of school they start dropping like flies from being sick.

Even if they don't ask for these things, I would send them anyway. Kinda like a little insurance

Take care,

Whitney

[PrincessPerky]

Originally Posted by flash

PP -- I hope you are going to the teachers discount days at Staples and Office Depot...my sister the teachers says they are well worth it.

NO! please I don't want any more 'stuff' in my house!

we get art stuff as gifts aplenty, and paper is often from DHs work..the ends with like one line printed on them..he brings them home to print on.

But thanks for the idea

[sweeps]

Meijer (located in the midwest) has notebooks for 8 cents.

[cschin4]

The only thing my kids really need to start school is a backpack. Everything else is supplied. I wouldn't buy anything until your child starts school to see if you really need to buy anything.
As for backpacks, get a good one. The cheap ones fall apart before the end of the year. I would recommend Land's End, etc. But, since your child is young, a cheap small backpack may be fine. My kid's wanted SpongeBOB or some character. We used it for a year and then threw it out when it fell apart. Now that they are older, I did upgrade to a good backpack that should last for a couple of years.

[LittleGopher]

In our area (MN,) the back-to-school sales are in full force. Call for a list of supplies needed - make sure you need to buy at all, though this a great time to also stock up for home.

We get our lists before school lets out in June. I have four kids to buy for, and our district's lists are pretty extensive. I wouldn't want to not send my girls without the supplies requested. The school will provide, but I wouldn't feel right thinking that we'd be taking from those who really need the donations. I work for the district, and know most of the donated supplies come right from the teachers and staff themselves.

When the girls are done for the year, they bring home whatever is left of their supplies. I grab most of it for reuse, and store it away. About this time of year, I look at what we have, and watch for sales on what we need, as well as stocking up on basics - markers, notebooks, pencils, etc.

A couple of tips - buy a sturdy backpack (or at least eventually - the cheap character ones they like in preschool do make great library bags and swim lessons bags - we still use my high schooler's preschool Tigger bag for pool use) and buy enough supplies for the whole year when prices are so low now. One year, we went through all our packages of markers, and well, I won't even say what we paid for that mid-year purchase. Good luck!

[markio26]

we purchased crayons, paper tablets, scissors, glue, rulers, etc.. really cheap at wmt.