Shopping for back-to-school items can be terribly expensive, especially for families that are struggling financially. One way in which families can save money for those back-to-school items is by hitting the Dollar stores for those $1 deals.
While some things may indeed be a bargain, it's worth remembering that many department stores are also offering up super priced, Name Brand back-to-school supplies. Dollar stores should be the last stop you make, after hitting the back-to-school sales at KMart, Shopko, Fred Meyer, and other discount stores.
10 back-to-school items you should buy at the dollar store
1. Themed pencil packs: For kids who like licensed merchandise such as Camp Rock or High School Musical school gear, the dollar store is the place to buy pencil packs that includes 4 themed pencils, erasers, zippered pouch, ruler, and pencil sharpener.
2. Boxed facial tissue: Rather than buying name brand tissue, save your money and buy the budget brand at a Dollar Store instead.
3. First aid cold packs: In our school district, every child is required to donate an ice pack to the school nurse's office. Instead of spending $5 for a throwaway Ace pack, hit the dollar store instead for this First Aid necessity.
4. Sandwich keepers: Sandwich keepers are reusable plastic storage containers that hold a single sandwich. Not only are these much more eco friendly than buying sandwich bags, they are cheaper too.
5. Notebook binders: This summer, we saw both one and two inch binders turn up at the dollar store, a real bargain compared to the trendy decorator binders we see priced at $5 or more. If the binders are too plain for your kid's liking, try decorating them with Scribbles dimensional paint and some leftover scrapbook stickers or wall clings. Here's some great instructions for how to decorate a school binder on a budget.
6. Coloring books: If your child is in K-3, his teacher may ask for a coloring book to keep your child occupied in between lessons. Dollar store coloring books aren't as large as the ones you'll find elsewhere, but for $1, they're a real bargain.
7. Stickers: When my kids were small, their teachers used to ask for stickers to reward their students with. The dollar store is the place to find 500 count packets of stars, smiley faces, and other motivational stickers for kids.
8. Dry erase markers: For schools who require that kids bring dry erase markers for the teacher, the school dollar is the place to buy inexpensive dry erase markers priced at two for a dollar.
9. Class work totes: For the preschool and kindergarten set, many teachers prefer their students to use totes to carry class work instead of a backpack. Dollar store totes are the perfect size for those pint-sized students to carry.
10. Pencil top erasers: My kids much preferred using pencil top erasers over those pink pearl erasers you probably remember from grade school. Packaged 12 for a dollar, these erasers are a bargain.
So, obviously missing from this list are the standards such as notebook paper, pencils, pens, glue, rulers, and all those other items that make up part of a back-to-school list. These school basics tend to be "loss leaders" at your favorite department & office supply stores, and are often priced between 10¢-25¢ per package, which is considerably less than the dollar store. When it comes to basics, you will save more money shopping the sales instead of the dollar stores.
While some things may indeed be a bargain, it's worth remembering that many department stores are also offering up super priced, Name Brand back-to-school supplies. Dollar stores should be the last stop you make, after hitting the back-to-school sales at KMart, Shopko, Fred Meyer, and other discount stores.
10 back-to-school items you should buy at the dollar store
1. Themed pencil packs: For kids who like licensed merchandise such as Camp Rock or High School Musical school gear, the dollar store is the place to buy pencil packs that includes 4 themed pencils, erasers, zippered pouch, ruler, and pencil sharpener.
2. Boxed facial tissue: Rather than buying name brand tissue, save your money and buy the budget brand at a Dollar Store instead.
3. First aid cold packs: In our school district, every child is required to donate an ice pack to the school nurse's office. Instead of spending $5 for a throwaway Ace pack, hit the dollar store instead for this First Aid necessity.
4. Sandwich keepers: Sandwich keepers are reusable plastic storage containers that hold a single sandwich. Not only are these much more eco friendly than buying sandwich bags, they are cheaper too.
5. Notebook binders: This summer, we saw both one and two inch binders turn up at the dollar store, a real bargain compared to the trendy decorator binders we see priced at $5 or more. If the binders are too plain for your kid's liking, try decorating them with Scribbles dimensional paint and some leftover scrapbook stickers or wall clings. Here's some great instructions for how to decorate a school binder on a budget.
6. Coloring books: If your child is in K-3, his teacher may ask for a coloring book to keep your child occupied in between lessons. Dollar store coloring books aren't as large as the ones you'll find elsewhere, but for $1, they're a real bargain.
7. Stickers: When my kids were small, their teachers used to ask for stickers to reward their students with. The dollar store is the place to find 500 count packets of stars, smiley faces, and other motivational stickers for kids.
8. Dry erase markers: For schools who require that kids bring dry erase markers for the teacher, the school dollar is the place to buy inexpensive dry erase markers priced at two for a dollar.
9. Class work totes: For the preschool and kindergarten set, many teachers prefer their students to use totes to carry class work instead of a backpack. Dollar store totes are the perfect size for those pint-sized students to carry.
10. Pencil top erasers: My kids much preferred using pencil top erasers over those pink pearl erasers you probably remember from grade school. Packaged 12 for a dollar, these erasers are a bargain.
So, obviously missing from this list are the standards such as notebook paper, pencils, pens, glue, rulers, and all those other items that make up part of a back-to-school list. These school basics tend to be "loss leaders" at your favorite department & office supply stores, and are often priced between 10¢-25¢ per package, which is considerably less than the dollar store. When it comes to basics, you will save more money shopping the sales instead of the dollar stores.
0 comments:
Post a Comment