As much as I hate to say it, the beginning of the new school year is coming up fast, and we parents are all thinking the same thing. How and where do we obtain cheap back to school supplies our kids will need this year?
To be honest, I think the whole back to school supply industry is a bit of a scam…lol!
For many years, we spent far too much on school supplies. The school would send a list every August to let us parents know how many of this, that, or the other thing, our son would need for the school year, and encourage us to purchase all of those supplies by the start of school.
We would go out and buy it all as instructed, only to see half of the supplies never get used. The next year, it would be a completely different list of supplies and the left overs from the year before, still remained unused.
Now, we are far more frugal and wiser about what supplies need to be purchased for the start of the year.
Some of the links within this post, are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, we may earn a small commission if you finalize a purchase through one of those links. We only recommend products or services that we have used and love. Read the full disclosure here. Thank you for your continued support!
A Multi-Billion Dollar Industry
In 2024, Americans spent a combined total of $125.4 Billion dollars on school supplies for the new year.
Read that again…
$125.4 Billion.
Whew! If that doesn’t give you a reality check, I don’t know what will.
According to statistics, the average family spent $586 per child (K-12) last year on back to school, and roughly $1365 for a college student.
Holy crap…that’s a lot! I don’t even spend that much for my 16 year old, on Christmas!
Can’t wait until he goes off to college! ?
When you consider you’re spending that much in August for back to school, and then, maybe close to that, a few months later for Christmas…
Well, let’s just say, you open your eyes and gain a new perspective.
And to think the school districts themselves, remind you that you are a bad parent if you don’t purchase all of the supplies by the start of the year…meh.
A New Approach
I’m not here to tell you what brand clothing you should buy your children. That’s your business.
What I do aim to do, is to give you a list of the most replaced and/or essential supplies that tend to be pricier, that can be found online cheaper than in-store.
Within that 125.4 Billion dollar spending, the most expensive items account for electronics and clothing, with normal supplies (like binders, folders, pencils, paper, notebooks, etc.) being the least amount spent.
You can probably pick those things up cheaper at a Walmart or Target. I say start out with the bare minimum (1-2 packs of pencils, glue, notebook paper, composition book, notebooks, folders, crayons, etc.) on those supplies and see where it goes.
All depends on the grade level of your child. Just don’t pay too much attention to all of those school sent lists and commercials to get you to spend upwards of $100 right off the bat.
That’s a scam.
This list is for items that will cost more in those stores, with less value. You know best about the clothes, shoes, and pencils.
Side Note – All of the items on these lists are for boys and girls. I tried to choose the best photos. However, you should go to the individual links, as most items have various styles and colors to suit your needs.
Elementary (K-5)
- Lunch Bags or Boxes
- Food Containers
- Water Bottles/ Thermoses
- Backpacks
- Tablets
- Storage Bins/Shelves For Organization At Home
- Bulletin Boards For Reminders and Charts
Middle School (6-8)
- Lunch Bags or Boxes
- Food Containers
- Water Bottles/ Thermoses
- Backpacks
- Tablets
- Laptops
- Calculator
- Ear Buds
- Storage Bins/Shelves For Organization At Home
- Bulletin Boards For Reminders and Charts
High School (9-12)
- High-quality notebooks for multiple subjects
- USB flash drive for storing and transferring digital files
- Laptop
- Scientific calculator for math and science classes
- Geometry kit
- Backpack/laptop bag
- Binder or accordion file for organizing loose papers and notes
- Planner or calendar to stay organized with assignments and deadlines
- Quality earbuds
College Students
- Laptop
- High-quality notebooks and binders for multiple subjects
- Compact Printer
- Desk
- Desk Lamp
- Noise-canceling headphones
- Quality backpack or Laptop bag
- Flash Drive
- Binder or accordion file for organizing loose papers and notes
- Bedding set (sheets, blankets, pillows)
- Mini fridge
- Microwave
- Single Serve Coffee/Tea Maker
- Coffee mug warmer
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day…while the expense of back to school supplies can’t be avoided, there are good deals to be found for some of the pricier items.
I hope these lists have provided you with deals on items you haven’t been able to find locally. They are all great products, most of which can be used for a few years (or more), saving you a little money later.
Let’s face it. Your child’s education is an investment. If you invest wisely, you won’t have to purchase the same items year after year. That by itself will save you possibly hundreds or thousands of dollars in the long run, so you get more out of your investment.
This is especially true for college students, as most of their dorm accessories will stay with them after college years.
What do you think? Are there items not included on these lists, that you think should be, based on your own experience?
Let me know in the comments below, and perhaps your insights may help other readers!
In the meantime, stay frugal my friends ?