How to Save Money on Back to School Supplies This Year
What families actually spend — and where the money goes
Back-to-school shopping is the second-largest seasonal spending event in the U.S., behind the winter holidays. According to National Retail Federation surveys, the average family with children in grades K–12 spends roughly $850–$875 on school supplies, clothes, electronics and dorm items combined, and total national spending pushes past $38 billion. A meaningful chunk of that is spent buying items the family already owns, at full price, in the two busiest weeks of the year.
The single most effective thing you can do is slow the process down by about three weeks. Prices on supplies are lowest in late June and mid-July, backpacks are discounted before the "back-to-school" signage goes up, and clearance cycles for clothes turn over twice before the first bell. Below is a step-by-step approach that typically cuts a $250 supply run to well under $100.
Step 1: Inventory what you already have
Before opening any store website, empty every backpack, desk drawer and closet bin in the house. Count what you have in half-used quantities — this is where the real savings hide.
- Pencils: A used half-box of 12 yellow #2 pencils still works. Most families throw out $4–$6 worth each year.
- Notebooks: A spiral notebook with 20 blank pages used at the back is a perfectly good subject notebook.
- Binders and folders: Two-ring and three-ring binders last 3–5 school years if you replace the dividers instead of the binder.
- Backpacks: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a loaded backpack weigh no more than 10–20% of a child's body weight, and notes that any backpack with intact zippers and straps is fine — there is no functional reason to buy a new one annually.
Write a one-page list of true gaps only. Bring it with you and do not add to it in the store.
Step 2: Get the actual list, and buy only a few items early
Most districts post grade-level supply lists in mid-June. Check the school website, the PTA site, and the class app teachers use. Once you have the list, buy three or four items immediately at the deepest-discount period and wait on the rest. Crayons, glue sticks, composition notebooks and folders are the items that hit $0.25–$0.50 doorbuster pricing in late July; backpacks, calculators and tech do not, so those benefit from waiting for coupons and tax-free weekends.
Ask the teacher directly whether last names starting with A–L should supply one thing and M–Z another. Many classrooms ask for shared bulk items like tissues, sanitizing wipes and paper towels, and buying those in a 6-pack at a warehouse club instead of individually at a drugstore saves about 40%.
Step 3: Compare unit prices, not sticker prices
Store-brand and dollar-store supplies are excellent for consumables and poor for anything with moving parts. A reliable rule: buy generic for paper, crayons, markers, glue and folders; buy name brand for scissors, headphones, calculators and backpacks.
Typical 2025 prices for a basic 10-item supply run:
| Item | Dollar store / generic | Name brand | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24-count crayons | $1.25 | $3.49 | $2.24 |
| 12-count colored pencils | $1.25 | $2.99 | $1.74 |
| Washable glue sticks (4-pack) | $1.25 | $4.29 | $3.04 |
| 70-sheet composition notebook | $1.00 | $2.79 | $1.79 |
| Plastic pocket folders (4-pack) | $1.25 | $4.99 | $3.74 |
| Blunt-tip school scissors | $1.25 | $3.29 | $2.04 |
| 5-inch classroom scissors (Fiskars-type) | not recommended | $4.49 | buy name brand |
| 1-inch 3-ring binder | $1.00 | $4.49 | $3.49 |
| Stylus/capacity backpack | not recommended | $24.99–$39.99 | buy on sale |
| Pocket tissues (3-pack) | $1.50 | $2.99 | $1.49 |
On this list, splitting generic and name brand where it matters cuts roughly $17 per child, and the cheap scissors are the one item teachers routinely send home asking parents to replace.
Step 4: Time purchases to sales-tax holidays
About 17 states plus Washington, D.C. run a back-to-school sales tax holiday, most commonly in late July or early August, exempting clothing, shoes and school supplies under a per-item cap (commonly $20 for supplies and $100 for clothing, though caps vary by state). On a $200 qualifying purchase in a 6% state, that is $12 back in your pocket.
Check your state department of revenue site for exact dates and caps before you shop — a few states require items to be under the cap individually, not per transaction. If your state has no holiday, watch for retailer promotions that mimic it: Target, Walmart and Staples typically run 25–75% off school supply doorbusters for three weeks in July.
Step 5: Use price matching, rebate apps, and store credit
Target, Walmart, Staples and Best Buy all advertise price matching against local competitors and major online retailers. Bring a screenshot of the lower price to customer service rather than paying twice. Stack that with cashback apps such as Ibotta or Rakuten (typically 1–5% back), and with school-issued discount cards from the PTA, which usually return 10–20% to the school on purchases you were making anyway.
For college, the biggest wins are used textbooks (check the campus store's used shelf first, then Chegg and ThriftBooks), textbook rental, OpenStax free digital titles, and waiting two weeks to see whether the professor actually uses the assigned book — professors estimate that a meaningful share of assigned texts go unread in required courses.
Step 6: Set a per-child budget and check out once
Decide on a number before you shop — $75–$100 per K–12 student covers supplies plus one new outfit for most families. Check out once, keep the receipt, and resist mid-August "last chance" emails. Anything the teacher asks for after the first week can usually be bought later, when prices drop another 40–60% in clearance.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time of year to buy back-to-school supplies? Late July for consumables like paper, crayons, glue and folders, and mid-August for anything left unsold. Retailers mark supplies down in three waves — early July, tax-free weekend, and end-of-season clearance — and the last wave is typically 50–75% off original price.
Are dollar store school supplies actually a good deal? Usually yes for paper goods, crayons, markers, glue, folders and tissues. No for scissors, pencil sharpeners, backpacks and anything with hinges, zippers or blades. Compare price per unit rather than per package, since dollar-store packs are sometimes smaller.
Is it worth buying a new backpack every year? No. A backpack in good condition with working zippers and intact straps is fine for 2–4 years. Replace it when the straps tear or when the loaded pack exceeds 10–20% of your child's body weight, and buy during end-of-summer clearance or Amazon Prime Day for 30–50% off.