Back-to-school sales are underway at retailers across the country, and those who plan ahead can save big on everything from backpacks to laptops.
Caroline Helgeson, a high school student from Phoenix, Arizona, is looking forward to the hunt.
“I’m starting high school next year and I’m really excited to find a new backpack, water bottle, stuff like that,” Helgeson said.
Backpacks, notebooks and school supplies fill shopping carts at Target.
“The kids are already starting to dream about their school supplies,” said Jessica Helgeson, Caroline’s mother. “I use the app. I love the app. I also have the Target debit card, so I get 5% back. I stack all these deals.”
The retailer is also offering a 20% discount on purchases to college students who are Target Circle members.
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Teachers can also benefit from offers. By creating a classroom wish list, educators can unlock a $10 reward toward their own purchases.
“It helps me because I get all my stuff together for what I need,” said Karla McKerley, a teacher in Phoenix.
Shopping for school supplies just got easier at Walmart. Store manager Angela Bill says teachers at schools across the country have uploaded their class lists directly to the Walmart app – accessible with a single QR code scan.
“It will list all of the products selected by the teachers. If you want, you can then select them individually or just click ‘Add to Cart’ and everything will be added directly to your shopping cart,” Bill said.
Walmart also offers more than 200 rollbacks on notebooks, glue, and backpacks, with many items costing less than $1.
“You could get your first day outfit for less than $20,” Bill said. “So from dressing to feeding, we have everything from a single source.”
College students can also save with a half-price Walmart Plus membership — $49 per year — which includes free grocery and grocery delivery.
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Shopping expert Kristin McGrath, editor-in-chief of The Krazy Coupon Lady, says the biggest savings can come from starting early.
“Back-to-school sales and shopping begin now,” McGrath said. “You can give yourself a chance to grab some bargains early and stock up on things you know your child needs on sale and give yourself several rounds of buying and saving.”
McGrath recommends comparing prices, searching for coupons and creating a shopping cart online before heading to the store.
“I like to create my shopping cart with what I need across multiple stores to see what coupons I have and see what comes out the cheapest,” McGrath said.
For essentials, she recommends not overlooking pharmacies and dollar stores.
For larger purchases like laptops, student discounts – such as 10% off Dell products or Apple student prices – can result in significant savings.
Families preparing for a new school appreciate the offerings.
“My favorite subject is probably math,” Olivia said.
Her mother says that when you have multiple children, every dollar saved counts.
“She has a lot of sisters and brothers,” Brandi Henderson said. “So we definitely need to save money.”
This story was originally co-published by Jane Caffey Scripps News Group in Phoenix.
https://www.nbc26.com/us-news/back-to-school-sales-are-here-how-to-save-money-on-supplies-this-july
