twoxcell Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 .....or are the back to school sales not very good this year. Where is that not impressed picture when I need it. :closedeyes: Someone please tell me they are finding good deals? I have a big list of things I need hoping to find some deals this Friday when we get paid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 Last year, I felt the same way and this year isn't looking any better so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 It's still very early. There are only a few things out yet. Last year, I went too early and I was sad :( but I went again a month? later and got great deals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted July 17, 2013 Author Share Posted July 17, 2013 Last year, I felt the same way and this year isn't looking any better so far. I know it is a real bummer. At least last year staples had some good deals but even they don't really this year. I did get my ds a really nice back pack at Costco for 18.99 which seemed like a really good deal to me. :) He needs it for Swim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 :iagree: We purchased a local second grader's school supplies here, and I about fell over from the sticker shock. Sadly, I think we will pass on adopting a local student next year. .....or are the back to school sales not very good this year. Where is that not impressed picture when I need it. :closedeyes: Someone please tell me they are finding good deals? I have a big list of things I need hoping to find some deals this Friday when we get paid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 I actually purchased everything we need for this year 2 weeks ago. I got it at our Navy exchange, but the prices were still expensive. I was looking at the Wal-Mart, Target and Staples adds...no impressed at all. I'm glad that's done, now all I need is our curriculum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 :iagree: We purchased a local second grader's school supplies here, and I about fell over from the sticker shock. Sadly, I think we will pass on adopting a local student next year. Us too. I'm not adopting another student. The list is absolutely, profoundly ridiculous. I know what the schools are up to...a certain percentage of students won't bring these items, so they ask for WAYYYYYYYYYYYYY too much from the parents who will in order to compensate. What ticks me off is the waste. Last year when one of the local districts had to close an elementary building, they tossed out over 150 packages of new pens and pencils, large containers of counting bears, staplers, staples, erasers, reams of paper, new markers, highlighters, you name it. They didn't have room for the storage, according to the school administrator, and of course sent out another exhaustive list for families this year when they had the dumb stuff all along. Makes me so mad!!! One of the local businesses offered to store it for them, and to even give a key to the principal so she or the secretary could retrieve supplies whenever they wanted. Oh....the would be too inconvenient. Meanwhile perfectly good items went in the trash. The custodian got so mad that he robbed the dumpster, boxed up all the supplies, and sent it all down to Highland Park and Hamtramac Schools where the kids oft times do not have anything and the schools have to spend so much money on security and propping up crumbling buildings that there isn't anything left for the kids. Good for him!!! I do have to say this. I have high schoolers. So, I'm generally only in the market for more paper, binders, and the occasional scientific calculator. Sigh....I miss buying art supplies, big erasers, wide lined paper, bulletin board supplies and posters, etc. I REALLY miss it. I swear I get kind of high from the smell of school supplies! LOL The deals around here aren't deals. Many of the items are just a few pennies less than the regular price so not worth making a trip to town to get and then store. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted July 17, 2013 Author Share Posted July 17, 2013 One of the local businesses offered to store it for them, and to even give a key to the principal so she or the secretary could retrieve supplies whenever they wanted. Oh....the would be too inconvenient. Meanwhile perfectly good items went in the trash. What? :huh: Why not donate to a local thrift store? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 I know it is a real bummer. At least last year staples had some good deals but even they don't really this year. I did get my ds a really nice back pack at Costco for 18.99 which seemed like a really good deal to me. :) He needs it for Swim. That is an awesome backpack. I got one for DH last fall, and it's the first time a bag has held up for him for more than a semester. I commandeered it for myself for summer, and plan on getting my own when I get fall financial aid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 I stopped donating to schools many years ago when I pulled my kids put to home school. I wish every parent would bc quite frankly I don't think the schools will ever stop their stupid waste until they have no choice but to wisely use what they have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 I know it is a real bummer. At least last year staples had some good deals but even they don't really this year. I did get my ds a really nice back pack at Costco for 18.99 which seemed like a really good deal to me. :) He needs it for Swim. I think that's a good deal. As homeschoolers, I haven't bought one in a while. The last one I bought for dd was in 5th grade. It's been so good to her she's taking it off to college with her in a month! And it was a cheap Target backpack! I've offered to buy her a new one but she keeps saying this one is fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLDebbie Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 It's only mid-July and the BTS sales have just started here. I go every week to Staples and pick up the few really good sale items. I have gotten a few things so far, but we still have more than a month until school starts again. The better sales will come. And while I believe there's plenty of waste, there have been so many cut backs that schools rely on parents for some items. For example, my younger son (who is in PS) needs to take hand soap because with the budget cuts, they don't have money for that anymore. If parents don't supply it, the classroom teacher must provide her own. Now the 36 pencils = 1 per week and there's no way that they'll use that many. I'll send him in with one box and if the teacher requests more, I'll send more then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readinmom Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 I'm thankful I overbought last year. I read on krazy koupon lady's site that this is considered week 2 and not to expect great deals until weeks 4 and 5. I did buy paper at Staples for the rebate and bought the ever praised Black Warrior pencils at Office Max just to make the comparison to the General's Cedar Pointe, which I love. Since Staples stopped teacher limits (the extra 20 or so we used to get) I lost interest in them. Their special deals have been regular prices at Walmart and Target. I sucked it up last year and bought dd10 a backpack/lunchbox deal at L.L. Bean when the summer sale started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 One thing about home schooling that I miss us BRS shopping for clothes . I used to love doing that with my mom, and frankly, Mel doesn't need a BTS outfit and cute school themed clothes . I remember getting all our crayons and pencils and book bags... Most of which we don't really buy in bulk with only one kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 You have to check the weekly fliers. If you want the best prices, you don't pick up everything at one time at one store. I don't have a lot on my list, but for the items I do need I'm watching for sales on that item. I need scotch tape. This week there is a great deal at Office Max. The scotch 3-pack (yes, these are smaller than the full size scotch tape) is usually $4.29. This week the 3-pack is $2.00 and it comes with a 4th roll that is brightly-colored--perfect for the crafty things my kids waste tape on. I bought 5 of these, so we should be set for tape for awhile! Target does not have much in their ad this week (and mostly just their own brand), but their ream of printer paper is $3.50. And it's a real 500 pages this year, not the 400 they tried to push last year. So I'll stock up on that (my kids use a ton of blank paper for their drawings), but I won't buy notebooks or other things yet. Last year they had one week where Mead single subject notebooks were a great deal--I'm waiting for that and then I'll be back. And those three things are about all I need. I picked up a few other little things at Office Max since I had a $20 reward coupon from buying a lot of printer ink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted July 17, 2013 Author Share Posted July 17, 2013 You have to check the weekly fliers. If you want the best prices, you don't pick up everything at one time at one store. I don't have a lot on my list, but for the items I do need I'm watching for sales on that item. I need scotch tape. This week there is a great deal at Office Max. The scotch 3-pack (yes, these are smaller than the full size scotch tape) is usually $4.29. This week the 3-pack is $2.00 and it comes with a 4th roll that is brightly-colored--perfect for the crafty things my kids waste tape on. I bought 5 of these, so we should be set for tape for awhile! Target does not have much in their ad this week (and mostly just their own brand), but their ream of printer paper is $3.50. And it's a real 500 pages this year, not the 400 they tried to push last year. So I'll stock up on that (my kids use a ton of blank paper for their drawings), but I won't buy notebooks or other things yet. Last year they had one week where Mead single subject notebooks were a great deal--I'm waiting for that and then I'll be back. And those three things are about all I need. I picked up a few other little things at Office Max since I had a $20 reward coupon from buying a lot of printer ink. I never buy from just one store at one time. I'm always looking for the good deals each week. ;) I just haven't been impressed so far with the deals I've seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 I'm wishing I needed more. I have a secret giddy love for office supplies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 I'm wishing I needed more. I have a secret giddy love for office supplies. Me too, Lemon!!! I way over bought last year and I'm trying to justify buying more this year but the sales suck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 What ticks me off is the waste. Last year when one of the local districts had to close an elementary building, they tossed out over 150 packages of new pens and pencils, large containers of counting bears, staplers, staples, erasers, reams of paper, new markers, highlighters, you name it. They didn't have room for the storage, according to the school administrator, and of course sent out another exhaustive list for families this year when they had the dumb stuff all along. Makes me so mad!!! One of the local businesses offered to store it for them, and to even give a key to the principal so she or the secretary could retrieve supplies whenever they wanted. Oh....the would be too inconvenient. Meanwhile perfectly good items went in the trash. A school my husband worked at until earlier this year had a policy of chucking away stuff they thought they didn't need and it went really far to things like computers. Every time they had a site wide upgrade on computers the old but perfectly functioning laptops would literally be put in a skip. That happened twice in the 7 years my husband was there. Various members of staff ended up trying their best to redistribute the thrown out items. The IT department there who never get consulted about the old technology, started rescuing and doing a the computers to pass on to staff members who needed them. We ended up with a perfectly functioning dell laptop that was pulled from a skip. I had it about 4 years. The school my mum works in also often gets given items that are returns from big businesses or fire damaged goods. They The fire damaged goods are always immaculate, its stuff that hasn't actually been damaged at all but maybe was nearby. For some reason the school won't actually use these items so I've ended up with big packages of perfect exercise books. And we've sent on boxes of things like hair brushes and tooth brushes to charities and all sorts of things to charities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 The custodian got so mad that he robbed the dumpster, boxed up all the supplies, and sent it all down to Highland Park and Hamtramac Schools where the kids oft times do not have anything and the schools have to spend so much money on security and propping up crumbling buildings that there isn't anything left for the kids. Good for him!!! Good for him! I hope that if there was any fallout for him that the local businesses and media got behind him. The sales aren't great here, either. Staples had a few things that were good, and I did get a few boxes of crayons for a quarter at WalMart, but I'm glad I've stocked up in previous years, because I still have lots of pencils, glue sticks, and three-prong folders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 I do have to say this. I have high schoolers. So, I'm generally only in the market for more paper, binders, and the occasional scientific calculator. Sigh....I miss buying art supplies, big erasers, wide lined paper, bulletin board supplies and posters, etc. I REALLY miss it. I swear I get kind of high from the smell of school supplies! LOL Faith Me too. I took my rising 10th grader (public school) for supplies yesterday. I paid $49 for about 5 things. She and I looked at the fun type stuff and she told me she missed those days too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elfknitter.# Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 I'm thinking it's still early for something "great." Schools here start about Aug. 20, so there's still plenty of time for deals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmvaughan4 Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 I bought a 50 pack of page protectors at Office Max. They were $5.00. I haven't opened the package yet to check the quality, but I thought that was a good deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 It's not just you. Staples always did penny deals, but this week their featured products are 25 cents. :confused1: And it's stuff that I've seen in previous years for a penny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 Yeah school starts here Sept. 9th. There is still time! I did see huge white boards at Walmart for $20. I'm tempted... Why are all the things I want on sale at Walmart?? UGH. I guess boycotting has to hurt sometimes, eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 Why are all the things I want on sale at Walmart?? UGH. I guess boycotting has to hurt sometimes, eh? My DH hates hates HATES Wal-Mart! He would rather do anything but go there. He even went to Kmart to avoid Wal-Mart! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 I'm thinking it's still early for something "great." Schools here start about Aug. 20, so there's still plenty of time for deals. School starts August 5 here. It all depends upon where you live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 My DH hates hates HATES Wal-Mart! He would rather do anything but go there. He even went to Kmart to avoid Wal-Mart! I will go to K-Mart before WalMart. Tell DH I understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 It's hard to avoid Walmart around here. There aren't a lot of options. Yes, I'm lucky that I'm in a more urban place that WalMart hasn't killed all the competition yet... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luanne Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 Yeah school starts here Sept. 9th. There is still time! I did see huge white boards at Walmart for $20. I'm tempted... School here starts August 20th. The back to school stuff is out at all the stores now. I know a lot of people don't like Wal-Mart, but around here they have the best prices (especially at back to school time) of any store here. I am also very glad they gave my daughter a job. They are the first place to do that and are treating her well there besides. King Soopers royally screwed her over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luanne Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 See ... KMart here people tend to avoid. They usually have only one person checking people out (even if there are 7 or 8 people) in line and forget about getting help anywhere else in the store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 I'm in an urban place too. We do have Target. I just don't know if Target is that much better. Kmart is not that close. In my neck of the woods, Target is WORLDS above WalMart in regards to selection, cleanliness, happy employees... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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