15 Must-Have Back-to-School Supplies You Get For Under $20
It’s that time again for kids to throw a backpack over one shoulder, grab their pre-packed lunchbox, and hop on the bus for a trip back to their favorite (or least favorite) place on the planet. School. Whether your child attends a public school or a private institution, the price of school supplies can damage the wallet. Watch for these great deals under $20 during back-to-school shopping.
1. Pencil Cases
Has your child been eyeing that multicolored unicorn pencil case? Or has your son expressed heavy interest in a rainbow popper fidget pencil case to assist with his attention struggles? Target has both options and more under a crisp Andrew Jackson note. Get a metal unicorn pencil pouch for $13 and snag the bubble pencil pouch for $5.
2. Colored Pencils
As children, we respected the kids who brought the 50-pack of colored pencils slightly more than the kids with a measly 12-pack. We formed our year-long bonds over ample color choices, dubbing the kids with the 50-pack our best friends or the coolest kids in the world. Thankfully, Target sells a 50-pack of colored pencils for $7.99, a 24-pack for $3.29, and a 12-pack for an astounding price of $1! Each pack comes pre-sharpened.
3. Pencils
The most valuable tool a child possesses in school is a pencil. A singular piece of graphite thread through a skinny chunk of wood or a collection of plastic materials gives a kid the ability to write. Pencils are the preferred utensils upuntil high school, when desires lean toward pens. Mechanical pencils appear in a variety of sizes and colors for precision. Target’s best deal is a 40-count of Bic mechanical pencils on sale from $9.89 to $6.69. For wooden pencils, buy an 18-count of traditional, yellow Ticonderoga graphite holder for $3.69.
4. Pencil Sharpeners
You can’t turn in your best work with a dull pencil. Both mechanical and handheld pencil sharpeners continue to circulate throughout classrooms. Mechanical pencil sharpeners tend to reside in classrooms, while handhelds find comfy spots in backpacks. Good old Target shelves a $0.55 one-hole pencil handheld pencil sharpener and a $5.99 electric sharpener. Colors vary.
5. Pens
A great coming-of-age arc occurs when a child graduates from pencils to pens. Farewell to erasers and silly little mistakes. Pens bring permanence and power. Ballpoint, gel, felt-tip, and endless options might terrify a newcomer, though learning preferences takes an introductory period. A 10-piece bag of BIC ballpoint pens rings up at $1.29, a three-pack of Pilot gel-point pens comes in at $4.49, and a PaperMate Pack of 12 felt-tipped pens equals $10.
6. Highlighters
Another utensil applicable to high schoolers finds them emphasizing text via various colors. Highlighters use a light stroke to color over, not erase, text. Popular colors include yellow, pink, blue, and orange. Highlighters appear in differing thicknesses. For example, a fine-tip highlighter allows students to carefully outline their notes carefully, whereas a thicker chisel-tip highlighter works well with textbooks and thicker papers. Sharpie brand sells a 12-pack of fine-tip highlighters for $6.99 and a four-pack of chisel-tip highlighters for $2.49 on Target shelves.
7. Sticky Notes
Younger kids may favor sticky notes for doodles or jotting down important messages, yet middle and high schoolers utilize them routinely. I remember slapping down sticky notes every day in my planner. I jotted down urgent reminders, math formulas, important dates, and birthdays on bite-size paper. The pastel-colored squares start at $2.39 for Target’s three-pack of 45 sheets.
8. Wite-Out
Attempting to repress memories of writing an incorrect answer on tests kept me awake long after I graduated high school. For a reason unbeknown to me, I never purchased Wite-Out. I always told myself to buy the substance, forgetting as soon as I left the academic corridor each day. I hoped a classmate carried the roll out in white, similar to tape instead of paint. Walmart sells the tape kind for $1.94 and the paint version for $1.54.
9. Binders
Each student favors a different method of holding school papers in one location. Many supply separate folders for each subject, though others enjoy carrying around a bulky five-subject binder to minimize space. Schools and classes specify size, as binders range between 0.5” and 6” plastic folders. Walmart shelves countless selections of binders, starting with a single subject 0.5” holder for $0.97 up to a heavy-duty 3” binder for $13.77 and a durable multi-subject zipper binder for $18.97.
10. Notebooks
Instead of shoving awkward-shaped binders into square backpacks, several students opt for notebooks. In other cases, classrooms require a binder to store tests and projects and a notebook for notetaking and scrap paper. Standard notebooks come with between 70 and 100 sheets of paper, 8.5”x11”, in wide-ruled or college-ruled spacing. Notebooks permit students to rip out paper neatly due to perforation, while composition books come with pre-glued paper, disallowing neat paper removal. An 80-sheet comprehensive ruled composition book at Walmart costs $0.50, and a wide and college-ruled single-subject notebook containing 70 sheets of paper costs $0.45.
11. Markers
Let’s journey back to days when teachers encouraged drawing and desks held many scattered coloring utensils. Or, let’s picture the days of walking up to the whiteboard to demonstrate the latest chemistry equation to the class. A 20-pack of Crayola markers costs $7.92, a perfect amount of coloring tools for grade school children. A four-pack of EXPO, or dry-erase markers, costs $4.47 for high school kids.
12. Hand Sanitizer
You can never have enough hand sanitizer. Kids (and adults) touch multiple people and surfaces throughout the day. Unfortunately, they sometimes forget to wash their hands after the restroom or encounter an unpleasant substance. Drop some mini hand sanitizer dispensers in their backpack to keep them clean and germ-free. Walmart sells a travel-sized gel dispenser for $0.97 and a Lavender-infused version for $1.97.
13. Glue
Science projects. Notecards. Band practice. You never know when you’ll need a glue stick or a bottle of Elmer’s. The sticky liquid fuses items, so you don’t have to hold them. A two-pack of purple Elmer’s glue sticks runs for $0.50. It’s the same price as a bottle of white Elmer’s liquid glue. A clear bottle goes for $1.88.
14. Index Cards
Students need index cards for studying. I demolished an extreme amount of index cards during my schooling, and I don’t regret a second of inscribing millions of words on the double-sided study tool. If your child is in acting or involved in music, they can also use index cards to learn their lines, lyrics, or notes. A pack of 100 3×5” white index cards comes up to $0.72 at Walmart, whereas a 300 pack of the same-sized paper costs $1.97.
15. Rulers
Rulers assist with measurements. In the U.S., we operate on the imperial system or the inches and feet side of a ruler. Still, almost every other country uses the metric system, or centimeters and meters. Thankfully, a generous supply of rulers comes with metric and imperial markings. Elementary school kids use rulers to measure the size of crafts and projects, whereas older kids use the instrument in art, biology, chemistry, and geometry. A 12” wooden ruler from Walmart costs customers $0.54, and a 12” plastic ruler costs customers $0.64.
14 Things That You Should Always Buy at Walmart to Save Money
Walmart’s famous slogan, “Save money. Live better.” promises customers an affordable store. A wonderland of a supermarket selling the same products as other stores at reasonable prices. Part of what makes Walmart accountable for its low prices is its dedication to providing generic copies of name-brand items for half the price. Other stores do this, too, but Walmart’s low prices stand out. We’re comparing Walmart’s prices to those of other superstores, such as Target’s prices. This will highlight the discrepancies between the sales prices in the two busy markets.
14 Things That You Should Always Buy at Walmart to Save Money
14 Things Millennials Are No Longer Buying: A Shift in Consumer Trends
Each generation has its share of likes and dislikes, which impact their shopping habits. Millennials are no different. As consumers, they have collectively rejected numerous things that appeal to other generational groups, especially Generation X and baby boomers.
14 Things Millennials Are No Longer Buying: A Shift in Consumer Trends
15 States That Allow You to Live on a Smaller Budget
Finding ways to make your paycheck stretch is at the forefront of most Americans’ minds. In 2022, inflation started to eat away at more and more of our incomes, leaving many figuring out whether to pay for gas or groceries, two areas where inflation hit hard and fast initially.
