Staples: Back to School

[NYCDiane]

Okay, so I got almost all my daughter's back to school supplies at Wal Mart since they always have the best prices. The only things I couldn't find were the 2" binders she needs. I also checked Target and they didn't have any either. I saw tickets on the shelf for these items so I know they carry them so I can only guess that both stores were out of stock.

We decided to go to Staples since they're having a big back to school sale.... Well, let me be the first to tell you: I will NEVER do "back to school" at Staples!!! The 50 cents marble notebooks? $2.49 at Staples. The 25 cent 24 crayon box of Crayola? $1.89 at Staples. The $1 pack of Crayola markers? $2 at Staples. The 25cent pack of glue sticks? $1.50 at Staples.

The binders ---- even at their "buy 2, get 1 free" deal, would STILL end up costing more than at Wal Mart or Target.

I never really did any "shopping" at Staples --- I mainly go in there for copying and once in a great while printer ink if I can't find it anywhere else.

Seems to me, they try to get you in with those 1 cent or "dollar deals" and then hope you just decide to do all your shopping there and pay through the teeth for everything else.

As for me? I'll stick to Wal Mart and Target where I know I can get everything at 1/3 to 1/4 the price of Staples.

 

[azdizzymom]

Sorry I disagree...staples has WONDERFUL sales if you read thru the ads starting mid-July. Currently 1 CENT 1 subjuect spiral notebooks. Last week 1CENT loose leaf notebook paper. Lots of other good sales..free stuff too if you get there early on Sunday..this week a free pencil sharpener (electric), free labler and one other thing. The key to back to school shopping is early and reading ads...Walmart will price match as will Staples on same items. I went to Target tonight for folders...they were out...went to Walmart and got a price match WITHOUT ad.

I stock up now and have stuff. My sons went "school shopping" in the closet tonight. Have tons of stuff to last this year. You know you will need pencils, pens, paper, glue, etc. even if you don't get the list when sales start. I buy poster board (got bright colors at Walgreens 2 weeks ago for 39CENTS a sheet) that we will have on the night before the big project is due. Walgreens also has good sales if you read...they will also accept their coupons and manufacture coupons on same item.

We are well stocked and I have bought over half my stuff cheaper at Staples than anywhere else and have done this consistantly for the past few years. Guess it pays to know how to look at the ads early and not assume Walmart is cheapest. I hate Walmart but went in there tonight...knew they price matched but most stores do on same item.

 

[princessmorgan]

Staples has a pretty steep return policy on other things, too. My dad bought us a printer 15 days ago from Staples. In this weeks ads the same printer is now 20 dollars cheaper. We haven't opened the box yet. We can't get a price adjustment or even return it, because there's a 14 day return policy on all technology and business machines. Doh ! It's our fault for buying it there, but it'll make rethink on shopping there anymore.

 

[NYCDiane]

Sorry I disagree...staples has WONDERFUL sales if you read thru the ads starting mid-July. Currently 1 CENT 1 subjuect spiral notebooks. Last week 1CENT loose leaf notebook paper. Lots of other good sales..free stuff too if you get there early on Sunday..this week a free pencil sharpener (electric), free labler and one other thing. .

I don't do school shopping until I have the supply list in-hand. I just got my list over the weekend, so I wouldn't have been shopping in mid-July.

Keep in mind, a lot of their "free" stuff is not "free" at purchase time. You have to do the rebate and wait 8 weeks for a check to come. Also, they have a 1 cent sale this week, a 1 cent sale last week, a 1 cent sale next week. Do I really want to visit Stapes every week in order to get school supplies? No, I don't. I'd rather go to Wal Mart, get everything in one trip at a lower price. Take my word, those "1 cent deals" and "dollar deals" and even the "free deals"at Staples in no way make up for their overpricing of everything else.

I'm very careful about watching my money and getting the best possible deals. I can assure you, Staples is NOT offering any bargains if you look at the overall picture. Having to make several trips to get $1 or 1 cent deals is no bargain, given the time factor and the gas you're using to get to/from, not to mention their inflated prices on everything else. Sure, I can spend a penny on a notebook, but then spend $2 on a pack of markers that I can get elsewhere for $1 or $1.50 on glue sticks that I can get elsewhere for 25 cents or $1.89 for crayons I can get elsewhere for 25 cents (sometimes 15 cents)?

 

[azdizzymom]

Idon't do school shopping until I have the supply list in-hand.
I'm very careful about watching my money and getting the best possible deals.


Each year don't your children (assuming elementary age) need glue sticks, crayons, pencils, colored pencils and paper (wide ruled for grade 2-3 and above) and either wide or college ruled for upper grades and middle and high school? Don't they if upper and middle or high school need single subject notebooks. It appears this would be common sense if you shop yearly. Yes, my kids are in middle and high school BUT even in younger grades I knew what BASIC items each teacher would require. Most teachers do NOT supply crayons, pencils, colored pencils, paper or glue. If you buy the glue sticks for 25 cents and they DON'T need it (assume you have spent 50 cents on 2 packs with 4 in them) why not donate them to the teachers? I have extra boxes of crayons and will give them to a teacher (these are crayola that I have had a couple years and didn't need). What is wrong with having supplies sit around KNOWING at some point they will appear on the list. Honestly in my supply "closet" I probably have $25 in purchased prices in the past 2-3 years and enough stuff to get thru the next 2 school years. I use common sense and know what they will probably need. If they don't I lots of times the teachers use their own money to buy LOTS of stuff as the PTO doesn't give them as much money. Does it hurt me to donate the free after rebate dry erase markers or the ones I paid a $1 for that my sons dont need that I thought they would NOPE.

Guess we are different in our bargain shopping. I read the ads and use common sense to buy things ahead of time in mid July. If I waited for the supply list to come out...for my high school son it is the first day and second day of school I would probably be paying LOTS more for supplies and find they are out of stock. I am still saving LOTS of money...I the penny loose leaf paper/ nickle one subject notebooks/ 25 cent single subject notebooks/ 25 cent pencils/ the 88 cent packs of 24 of crayola colored pencils, 25 cent index cards/ 39 cent poster board in neon colors and white, etc. etc.

Yes, I found glue in the supply that I don't need so it is off to the elementary to a teacher who needs it.

Either way you do your shopping hope your kids have a wonderful school year!

 

[pyrxtc]

i'm sorry but i ahve to disagree. I have gotten a lot of my stuff at Staples for great deals. Target was my second stop and got the rest of my stuff. I ended up at Walmart for the first time in about a year and couldn't believe what a rip-off the prices were !

Some of the cheap stuff was okay but the quality between Walmart and Staples/Target was visible and in the feel.

 

[andymattmom]

i'm sorry but i ahve to disagree. I have gotten a lot of my stuff at Staples for great deals. Target was my second stop and got the rest of my stuff. I ended up at Walmart for the first time in about a year and couldn't believe what a rip-off the prices were !

Some of the cheap stuff was okay but the quality between Walmart and Staples/Target was visible and in the feel.

Agree with you and the other Staples shopper. I you get what you pay for. Would rather pay 25 cents more for a notebook knowing it will last or a name brand glue because with some of the cheap stuff out there you use twice as much the bargain really isn't a bargain.

OP it isn't hard to figure a list out. Basic supplies aren't hard to figure but if you wait fine...don't get angry if they are OOS.

 

[lindsmom]

Unfortunately, some of us don't have a walmart or target nearby. For me, walmart is an hour, target is about 1hr 15 min. If traffic cooperates. I buy the bargains as I can (going for my 1 cent notebooks today, got 4/$1 crayons @ toys r us), but the price difference for me (paying a bit more @ staples) makes up for the gas and time of driving out to walmart.

It's a compromise we make often here.

 

[Kitzka]

I don't exclusively shop at staples but i do find that i get most of my items that i need there. I find that i get great deals there and the quality of the items is great. I do get stuff at target.

I love the rewards program as well as the rebate program. I tend to purchase the basics and will return or exchange things as they come up once the list comes out. my daughter tends to get her list the first day of school and it's often hard to find exactly what i need, esp at a good price.


Lara

 

[PaulaSue]

Very well said Staples shoppers. I only buy sale items and through the summer we get the house stocked for the next year.

If we can't use the FAR I put them in my teacher baskets for Christmas.

 

[james'mommy]

I bought most of our supplies at Target but went to Staples for a few specfic things that Target never sells. Staples was expensive. I had to pay $2 for a plastic folder.

 

[NYCDiane]

Agree with you and the other Staples shopper. I you get what you pay for. Would rather pay 25 cents more for a notebook knowing it will last or a name brand glue because with some of the cheap stuff out there you use twice as much the bargain really isn't a bargain.

OP it isn't hard to figure a list out. Basic supplies aren't hard to figure but if you wait fine...don't get angry if they are OOS.

The items I mentioned at Wal Mart are name brand --- all Crayola & Elmers as far as art supplies are concerned. Notebooks, the same thing.

About figuring out the list.... I would rather wait and get what's on the list instead of going and wasting money on stuff we won't need. I was tempted to purchase a ton of marble notebooks since that's all they've used the past few years. Well, something told me to just wait. Glad I did because it turns out she only needs 1 marble notebook and the rest are all 2 subject spirals. I wasn't sure the types of pens either (last year, it was ONLY erasable pens which cost much more). Well, I waited and it turns out they only need 2 pkgs of ball point blue or black pens. Same with most of the other supplies. It was a completely different list this year, even down to the type of "supply box" they need.

 

[NYCDiane]

Each year don't your children (assuming elementary age) need glue sticks, crayons, pencils, colored pencils and paper (wide ruled for grade 2-3 and above) and either wide or college ruled for upper grades and middle and high school?

Wrong. This is the first year she hasn't needed markers or crayons. Never needed loose leaf paper until this year.

Don't they if upper and middle or high school need single subject notebooks.

Wrong again. They don't use single subject notebooks. It's 2 subject notebooks put inside a binder, along with a folder inside the binder for each subject.

It appears this would be common sense if you shop yearly.

Apparently not and I'm glad I used my common sense and waited until I had the list in my hands to shop. I would have wasted a lot of money had I made an assumption on what supplies she would need.

I use common sense and know what they will probably need.

Again, NOT "common sense" if you're buying things you don't need. Had I gone and bought 10-15 marble notebooks or 1 subject spirals, they would just be sitting around since they're only using 2 subject spirals this year (and probably next year, too, since she's in Junior High now)

Guess we are different in our bargain shopping.

It's not a bargain if you're buying something you don't need. That's like someone buying something just because they have a coupon for it.

 

[TwinsinCA]

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but I have a Staples related question. How old do you think kids should be before they can buy some of the sale items with limits? When the paper was on sale last week I asked at a couple stores if one of my kids could get a few packs as well. At one store they said sure, at the other they said no. My kids are 9, BTW.

 

[NYCDiane]

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but I have a Staples related question. How old do you think kids should be before they can buy some of the sale items with limits? When the paper was on sale last week I asked at a couple stores if one of my kids could get a few packs as well. At one store they said sure, at the other they said no. My kids are 9, BTW.

There's no reason for them to deny you if your child is in line with cash-in-hand to purchase items. It's probably because you're "breaking the rules" as far as limits are concerned. Best thing to do is, give your child the items and the money and just go on 2 separate lines. If you buy items and your child is behind you on line and you pay for his/hers, it's a flagrant "violation" of their rule. If you're all on separate lines, there's nothing they can say since each person has and is paying for their own things separately.

 

[disneynewbee]

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but I have a Staples related question. How old do you think kids should be before they can buy some of the sale items with limits? When the paper was on sale last week I asked at a couple stores if one of my kids could get a few packs as well. At one store they said sure, at the other they said no. My kids are 9, BTW.

I'm surprised they said no. I mean they can't deny a 9 yo from making a purchase at a store so if you hadn't asked they wouldn't have even known.

 

[dthogue]

My daughters also use 2" binders for all their classes ( they have 5 classes each semester). The first year we bought the cheaper binders at Walmart and they didn't last the semester. The following year, I bought the heavy duty binders from Staples. Yes they were more expensive by a few dollars, but they also lasted longer. With the current buy 2 get 1 free deal Staples is running they are actually cheaper than Walmart or Target (plus Staples caries more colors, which to my DD's important).

I do agree that other things are not as cheap as Walmart, but that's the case for many things at Walmart and their competitors

Staples one cent sales are great, but I won't go out of my to get them - I'm lucky though, I drive right by Staples to get to work.

Happy school shopping everyone!!

Tammy

 

[PaulaSue]

My girls all buy their own things for the sales (all the stores) with their own money. They feel big and I feel good teaching them to spend their money wisely. They are 6,8 and 10. I buy anything else they need like backpacks and lunchboxes and the FAR or cheap AR and divide it up between them or for teacher gifts.

Next time I wouldn't ask and just do.

 

[NYCDiane]

My daughters also use 2" binders for all their classes ( they have 5 classes each semester). The first year we bought the cheaper binders at Walmart and they didn't last the semester. The following year, I bought the heavy duty binders from Staples.

Staples, Wal Mart, and Target all had the same brand 2" binders (Avery Heavy Duty). The problem was, at Staples, they were $3-$4 more. Target and Wal Mart had already run out of them. I'm going back this weekend and hopefully, they'll have them.

I love when people assume or make a comment that Wal Mart or Target don't have 'quality' items when they're selling the SAME BRAND item (not just the same item) at lower prices than the other stores.

 

[azdizzymom]

Staples, Wal Mart, and Target all had the same brand 2" binders (Avery Heavy Duty). The problem was, at Staples, they were $3-$4 more. Target and Wal Mart had already run out of them. I'm going back this weekend and hopefully, they'll have them.

I love when people assume or make a comment that Wal Mart or Target don't have 'quality' items when they're selling the SAME BRAND item (not just the same item) at lower prices than the other stores.

What I love is people who assume or comment that places like Staples are so much more expensive on items! Guess when you don't shop early knowing from basic school supplies year in and year out you really wouldn't know that they aren't more expensive.