List of School Supply Prices 2011

This post may contain affiliate links.

I know many of you are new to being frugal shoppers and have never really shopped the back to school sales before. Hopefully this list will help you know what prices to look for.  My Mom and I put our heads together on this one. We aren’t mind readers, so who knows what this years prices will bring, but these were pretty standard across the south last year (and many years before).

School supplies for three kidsphoto © 2008 Heather Elias | more info (via: Wylio)

If the items says (on limited special), I mean that it’s going to be a fabulous price to get you in the door and it will be limited to 1 or 2 per person or attached to a $10 purchase to get the special pricing.  Keep in mind they’re not going to let your 5 yr old check out, but your 12 yr old should be ok. :-)

If I have listed a brand name, that indicates the price for that brand (the teacher preferred one) but you can expect to find other brands (that usually don’t work as well in the classroom) for less.

If you can find a price very close to these, don’t feel like you have to wait for these prices- Time is Money! Save your receipts and if you later find a deal that is significantly less, you can always return your first purchase.  You may find prices that are cheaper than some of these too, but this will give you a good idea of what to look for.

Things That Write or Draw:
colored pencils $.88 for Crayola
24 ct. crayons $.20 – $.25 for crayola (Walmart $.50)
16 ct crayons $.79 (or buy the 24 ct and remove the extra 8 colors instead)
large 8 crayons $1
highlighter package $.29
single highlighters $.10
4 pk. dry erase markers $2 for Expo
#2 pencils $.01 each
10 ct markers $1 for Crayola  (Walmart $.99)

mechanical pencils $.50

package of pens (10-12 ct.) FREE – $.29 (watch for coupons on nicer pens)
red checking pencil 2 pk $.59
sharpie marker $.25 each
watercolors $1 for Prang or Crayola

Things to Write On
composition books (the black and white speckled ones)$.50 
construction paper $1 (dollar tree)
filler paper $.40 ($.20 on limited special)
graph paper $1
index cards $.39
post-it notes $.25 per pad
ream of paper (500 sheet) $3
spiral notebook $.10 (Walmart $.17)
steno notebook $.97
3 subject notebook $1
5 subject notebook $1.50
posterboard $.29

Things to Hold Supplies:

3 ring binder 1/2″ – 1″ $1
3 ring binder 2″ $2
3 ring binder 3″+ $4
dividers for binder $.50 
flex 3 ring binder 1/2″ $.50-$.99
2 pocket folder $.05 (Walmart $.15)
pocket and bradded folder $.05 ($.01 on limited special)
poly folder $1
pencil box $.20- $.29
pencil pouch $.10
post it flags $1
zippered canvas pencil pouch $.88
ziplock bags $1 (dollar tree)

Other Supplies:
cap erasers $.29 
compass $1
student dictionary $1 (dollar tree)
pink pearl erasers 3 pk. $1.50
pink erasers $.29 (.10 on limited special)
small glue bottles $.20 for Elmers
large glue sticks $1 for Elmers
small glue sticks $.20 for 2 pk Elmers
hand sanitizer $1 at Dollar Tree – may even be 4/$1 for 8 oz (thanks Sherrill!)
lock $1
paper towels $.50
pencil sharpener with compartment $.59 ($.10 on limited special)
basic pencil sharpener $.29
4 ct. playdoh $2 for Playdoh brand
protractor $.29
ruler $.10
student scissors $.88 for fiskars 
tissues $1  for Kleenex
wipes $.97

white out $.50 


Here is my post with tips for school supply shopping!

Want to get Thrifty Texas Penny matchups and scenarios as soon as they’re posted? Go here to follow me on Facebook or here to sign up for my free daily e-mails with links to that day’s posts.

Comments

  1. S. Davis says:

    nice – written like a teacher! 😉

  2. I love back to school sales. It really makes it hard to buy markers and crayons once they go back up in price, so I make sure to stock up!
    I especially love the pencil boxes; we use them as lunch boxes–they work great for my little bitties in the car!
    Have a great weekend!

  3. New follower from the Thursday Blog Hop!

  4. Hi! I’m a new GFC follower. Great post.. I will be on the look out for sale items over the summer for back to school. Even kindergarten need stuff now

  5. Thanks for this list. I always buy double or triple what’s on the list for disposable items like glue, paper and watercolor paints. I’d rather have left over supplies to start next year than run out midway through the year and have to pay ridiculously high full retail prices!

  6. Thank you for this list! I had never thought about looking at the Dollar Tree for school supplies. I teach Kindergarten and I always have parents complaints about asking for so many glue sticks so it’s a great idea to stock-up at the beginning of the school year.

  7. Hi Rachel, Dollar Tree has a fantastic selection of teacher supplies too- cutouts, sticky notes, decorations and flashcards. I’ve even found the desk version of construction cones-the ones with praise words on them! Love the Dollar Tree!

  8. S. Davis says:

    Thanks! I see “lock $1”, but it doesn’t say where, or what kind of lock it is. We need a locker lock this year, so wanted to ask for details!

  9. That’s just the price you should be able to get them for at some point in the season. So far that lowest I’ve seen them for this year is $2 a few weeks ago. You could always check Dollar Tree. I’ve seen some sets at Walmart for around $8 for 3 key locks, but you probably want combination for the boys huh? :-)