Back to School Bargain Thread

[Leajess99]

The extra supplies (wipes, sanitizer, ziplocs) I listed are communal. No one else would send in any so I kept doing it to help the teacher out. I coupon & can get a decent deal most of the time but I was frustrated because other parents didn't contribute (and I know a lot of the parents & they could afford it.) I don't mind the extras like glue sticks, pencils, paper (I always stock up & have them on hand.) I know it's not the teachers fault they run out of supplies but more parents need to step up instead of always depending on someone else to do it. (Many of them know I coupon & I guess expected me to do it. But I am on a strick budget right now with being a fulltime student, raising 3 kids & only DH working.) Ok-I vented & am done.

I understand your feelings. For my children's schools, a lot of the kids do come from very low income families so I feel I am covering them but it would annoy me to know people that can afford are not doing it.

 

[denecarter]

Did you read the fine print though?? You have to spend $5.00 before tax and not including the folders or pencils to get the deals. There is a limit of 10 on the folders and a limit of 2 on the pencils. The paper is an easy rebate with a limit of 2 and no requirement of spending the $5 so that is a great deal.

I hate that they have added the have to spend thing this year as it kind of takes away if there is nothing else you really need.

Yep... the minimum spend is annoying, but I have a couple of other things I need anyway. I'm a teacher, so I do at least get a higher limit on the pencils and folders... doubt it will be higher limit for the paper.

Guess I'd better take a couple of weeks to spread out my purchases of items not typically for a penny so I can meet the minimum purchase each week.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

The Walmart in Louisville, Ky had the crayons and glue sticks for 25 cents so the price seems to vary.

Glue sticks (2-pks) and bottles of glue were 25 cents at Walmart in Wilmington, NC. Paper was 75 cents a pacakge. I didn't see any crayons or markers yet.

 

[Nik's Mom]

Did you read the fine print though?? You have to spend $5.00 before tax and not including the folders or pencils to get the deals. There is a limit of 10 on the folders and a limit of 2 on the pencils. The paper is an easy rebate with a limit of 2 and no requirement of spending the $5 so that is a great deal.

I hate that they have added the have to spend thing this year as it kind of takes away if there is nothing else you really need.

For those needing plastic folders for their little ones, Target has them for 50 cents and they are a decent quality.

They also have coupons for 20% off TI Graphing calculators, 25% off construction Paper, etc.

I can't read the fine print, but I'll take your word for it. That stinks that they are changing the rules. It might not be worth it for me then. Are the $1 items applied to the limit?

 

[denecarter]

I can't read the fine print, but I'll take your word for it. That stinks that they are changing the rules. It might not be worth it for me then. Are the $1 items applied to the limit?

Fine print says only tax and Extreme Deals won't count toward $5 minimum. The labels on the flyer only call the folders and pencils "Extreme Deals"... so it looks like the $1 count. The fine print on the $1 items say "Limit 2 of each on all $1 items".

 

[Nik's Mom]

Fine print says only tax and Extreme Deals won't count toward $5 minimum. The labels on the flyer only call the folders and pencils "Extreme Deals"... so it looks like the $1 count. The fine print on the $1 items say "Limit 2 of each on all $1 items".

Thanks for typing that out. That gives me more info. I'll have to take a look and see if I have enough items worth $5 then.

 

[naomi78155]

I was just at Target and they had a lot of the back to school stuff out, but there were no special deals. I picked up a pack of 24 pencils for .97 but the other stuff seemed to still be regular priced.

Oh, and I think the wooden rulers were .37 and they were .50 at Walmart, and clipboards for .97.

 

[PrincessMomofTwo]

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

At Walmart today I found:
2 pack glue sticks- .30
mechanical pencils 24- $2.50
mechanical pencils 6 - $1
mechanical pencils 10- $1.50
composition books - .25
crayola crayons 24- .30
crayola markers - $1
crayola washable markers- $2
loose leaf paper- .75
pencils (not sure how many) - $1
Fiskar scissors (child size) $1.50

These are the things I paid attention to since I needed some of them. The paper and composition notebooks were completely sold out, I think because the county I was in has year around schools, I'm going to check a different walmart later or tomorrow.

I bought a few things, mechanical pencils, glue sticks, markers and scissors, I'm still holding out for the Staples sales for some things.

I am on vacation in NH and had to run into Walmart. Here this stuff is ringing up the same prices. I got the .30 crayons, 1.50 fiskars, glue sticks and also picked up some 1-subject notebooks for $0.15. DD is not even in school yet but goes through this stuff like water!

 

[staciepm]

In the Staples ad it looks like the paper is not an extreme deal, so maybe it will work for the minimum purchase amount since it is a rebate?

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

In the Staples ad it looks like the paper is not an extreme deal, so maybe it will work for the minimum purchase amount since it is a rebate?

That's what I am wondering, too. The paper is 4.99 before rebate, so that just about covers the minimum. I'd buy two reams of paper and be all set if that is allowed.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

Wow! I would question the 2-3 reams of paper thing. And are the KIDS using the expo markers and highlighters in K,2 and 3? If they are for class use, and there are 4 markers per pack x 20? kids, that's 160 expo markers. Seems like a lot to me.

Marsha

It is a lot. In the younger grades they don't always put the caps back on or the kids goof off with them and they disappear. To conserve paper they use white boards.

2-3 reams of paper sounds insane, sounds like that is for communal school use, not just that class or that teacher. I'm sure it's also to compensate for the many people who can't (OR WON'T) send in supplies and if they ask for 3, they expect to get maybe 1 per half the kids. Not every parent will send in 3 reams or 3 packs of markers and the other half won't send in any.

I understand the struggling families but the ones that just feel it's not their job to supply the school or they don't want to do it irritate me.

My dd's 1st grade list this year bugs the heck out of me. None of it is actual supplies for her except pencils. The rest is hand sanitizer, paper towels, reams of copy paper, kleenex and ziploc bags. I'm waiting for them to ask for toilet paper

My other kids lists aren't too bad. I send in wipes and kleenex because I have a kid that catches everything so she not only needs to wipe down things, she uses tons of tissues so I send in plenty of that. The teacher should not have to supply my kid with that.

But the paper towels, copy fees and copy paper irritate me. The state should not be cutting school budgets so much that we have to supply paper towels. Taxes are being wasted so much and education and investing in the kids should come first.

 

[torinsmom]

The kleenex, clorox wipes and hand sanitizer will help keep everyone in the room healthy, including your child. I am assuming the paper towels are for drying their hands(do they have a sink in-class) and if they don't have them, what will they use. The copy paper will most likely be used to make tests and worksheets, which will be used by your child as well. Maybe your child won't used every single piece of paper or kleenex, but they will benefit from those being used.

I know in our class, we use ziplocs for wet clothes and also for snacks when we go on field trips. For some reason, our general list had 2 snack size pks of ziplocs and one gallon size. I don't know what some teachers use that many for? We had so many left last year that we don't need any this year.

If your child's class is like mine, even the pencils will go into a communal supply. We have pencils out in a container for the kids to use. We sharpen them every morning and replace them when they get too short or the eraser is gone. It keeps the kids from losing them in their backpacks and desks. We also have colored pencil holders out with the same system. Crayons and markers are on the art shelf. It always makes me laugh when I see a child's name on every individual pencil, LOL.

Marsha

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

2-3 reams of paper sounds insane, sounds like that is for communal school use, not just that class or that teacher. I'm sure it's also to compensate for the many people who can't (OR WON'T) send in supplies and if they ask for 3, they expect to get maybe 1 per half the kids. Not every parent will send in 3 reams or 3 packs of markers and the other half won't send in any.

Possibly, but not necessarily....The school year is about 40 weeks long. If there are 20 kids in a class, and each child brings in 2 reams, that is 1 ream per week. 1 ream is 500 sheets, or about 100 sheets a day. For 20 kids, that is 5 pages per day.

When you include work sheets, class newsletters, field trip forms, the beginning of the year information sheets, homework pages, etc, it adds up very quickly.

One school I worked at, the teachers were given 1 ream per week, and had to take that paper to the school copiers.

I also worked in a school where only school-wide copies were allowed to be made at the school. If I wanted copies for my class, I had to make them at home or go to a copy center like Kinkos or Staples. I had a copy machine at my house and I would go through more than 20 reams a year. At least things like assessments and documentation sheets were copied by the school since they were school-wide. If I had needed to copy those, I could have easily hit 40 reams/year.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

If your child's class is like mine, even the pencils will go into a communal supply. We have pencils out in a container for the kids to use. We sharpen them every morning and replace them when they get too short or the eraser is gone. It keeps the kids from losing them in their backpacks and desks. We also have colored pencil holders out with the same system. Crayons and markers are on the art shelf. It always makes me laugh when I see a child's name on every individual pencil, LOL.

Marsha

I put all the supplies in a communal supply. I find that the supplies last longer because when they are not in use, they are out of reach of the children. They are not wasting ink, paper, or class time doodling. I gave tables that ended the day with the same number of pencils that they started with extra "table points".

I told them at the beginning that if they had special pencils or materials, it would be best if they used them at home in their Homework Toolkit. I had a lot less arguments over materials with this policy also. Again, this resulted in more time on task in the classroom, which leads to more learning.

 

[Terry36]

Now that DD is older she no longer is required to share in the communal supplies. She gets to use her own stuff!

We've bought most of her supplies already but we still need loose leaf paper so I'm waiting for that to go on sale.

I have a stash of supplies in a rolling bin for whenever we need something. It's a bit bare now so we'll replinish has the sales progress.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

The kleenex, clorox wipes and hand sanitizer will help keep everyone in the room healthy, including your child. I am assuming the paper towels are for drying their hands(do they have a sink in-class) and if they don't have them, what will they use. The copy paper will most likely be used to make tests and worksheets, which will be used by your child as well. Maybe your child won't used every single piece of paper or kleenex, but they will benefit from those being used.

I know in our class, we use ziplocs for wet clothes and also for snacks when we go on field trips. For some reason, our general list had 2 snack size pks of ziplocs and one gallon size. I don't know what some teachers use that many for? We had so many left last year that we don't need any this year.

If your child's class is like mine, even the pencils will go into a communal supply. We have pencils out in a container for the kids to use. We sharpen them every morning and replace them when they get too short or the eraser is gone. It keeps the kids from losing them in their backpacks and desks. We also have colored pencil holders out with the same system. Crayons and markers are on the art shelf. It always makes me laugh when I see a child's name on every individual pencil, LOL.

Marsha

Paper towels should be supplied by the state. Yes they need them to dry and wash their hands but I see that as like toilet paper or water or electric. The school/state taxes should supply those things. I know they won't and I will grumble about it and send them in because my kid will go without if I don't. I'm venting.

If you had so many ziplocs left over then they aren't being used or they don't need 2 or 3 types then. I don't begrudge the teacher asking for help, excessive waste and silly things on the list drive me nuts, that is all.

Hand sanitizer etc. yes all the kids use them but I think over use of that stuff is half the reason kids are so sick all the time.

 

[torinsmom]

I put all the supplies in a communal supply. I find that the supplies last longer because when they are not in use, they are out of reach of the children. They are not wasting ink, paper, or class time doodling. I gave tables that ended the day with the same number of pencils that they started with extra "table points".

I told them at the beginning that if they had special pencils or materials, it would be best if they used them at home in their Homework Toolkit. I had a lot less arguments over materials with this policy also. Again, this resulted in more time on task in the classroom, which leads to more learning.

Yeah, don't get me started on the glitter and character pencils the kids bring in. All they cause is distraction and arguments! I ask for plain yellow pencils on my list and if anything else comes in, I have the kids take it home. I tell parents they can use those at home. We have enough problem with kids arguing over whose eraser is bigger, LOL, I certainly don't need to add glitter and Sponge Bob to the mix.

 

[torinsmom]

Paper towels should be supplied by the state. Yes they need them to dry and wash their hands but I see that as like toilet paper or water or electric. The school/state taxes should supply those things. I know they won't and I will grumble about it and send them in because my kid will go without if I don't. I'm venting.

If you had so many ziplocs left over then they aren't being used or they don't need 2 or 3 types then. I don't begrudge the teacher asking for help, excessive waste and silly things on the list drive me nuts, that is all.

Hand sanitizer etc. yes all the kids use them but I think over use of that stuff is half the reason kids are so sick all the time.

I know you were venting! It is a lot to have to buy, especially when you have more than one child.

Our paper towels are provided, and there is hand soap on the wall. Unfortunately, the dispenser is too far back for most of my kids(preK/K) to reach, so I do ask for hand soap. Besides, that school stuff is so industrial that it isn't good for anyone's skin.

I think some teachers must use the ziplocs for different things. One teacher puts her 20 kids snack each in their own ziploc each day. To me, that is a waste of time and ziplocs. We use napkins, unless we are going on a field trip. Napkins are a lot cheaper. I wish there was a way for me to take the ziplocs(and a few other things) off the list, but the other teachers want them, and we had to do one list for all four primary classes. I am going to give my parents a personal supply list at open house and let them know they can keep any unneeded items for home, or return them to the store.

I don't know about the hand sanitizer keeping kids sick. All I can say is we squirted every child every morning when they came in the classroom and then washed the tables with clorox wipes every afternoon and we had the lowest absence rate in our school. Noone else followed our lead for some reason.I do think the antibacterial soap is causing some problems with resistant bacteria, so I request non-antibacterial soap for the sinks. We have our kids wash their hands vs. sanitizer for snack and lunch, and only use sanitizer when the kids enter the room or on field trips.

BTW, I have gotten hand sanitizer at the Dollar Tree, as well as kleenex!

Marsha

 

[tinkabella627]

I use ziplocs in my class for kids to store some of their "pieces and parts". For example if they are cutting things and run out of time they put everything in a bag so they don't lose it. I have found many reasons to run to the cabinet and get out a ziploc bag.

Our school district no longer allows sanitizer and clorox wipes (or any other brand for that matter)... yet most of my kids last year ended up bringing their own travel size one (which was allowed) so they could use it if they coughed, sneezed, etc. I don't know their reasoning behind the no sanitizer and wipes rule but it drives me crazy.

Paper towels are supplied at the bathrooms in our school but if we need them in class, we take out a roll that a child brought in. Those are used for snacks/birthdays, quick cleanups, and when the bathroom is out of paper towels.

And I have already commented on the reams of paper, but it seems it is becoming more common that schools are not supplying this to teachers. Any time our grade level all wants a copy of something we all send paper to the workroom and it goes on the 3rd grade shelf. If we want to do copies on our own, we bring our paper to the copier (which, in our case, was broken all last year- causing me to buy my own). I know it is expensive, but think of the amount teachers spend already. I have already spent well over $500 since January... and I don't get a penny of it reimbursed. But I do it because I want my class to have things that the school doesnt provide. And I am sure most other teachers can say the same.

Every supply that walks into my classroom (besides binders) goes into a pile. I have a supply list for each child and I cross off what they brought in. If they are missing things, I send a note home after a week. For certain things I will put their name on them and when they need new I will give them their own.