Which stores have the best back-to-school prices?
BOSTON – With the cost of back-to-school supplies on the rise, finding the least expensive items is critical for families.
To find which store had the cheapest options, WBZ-TV anchors Liam Martin and Kate Merrill went shopping with their children.
Liam headed to Target with his second grader Everly and kindergartener Asher. The Martins went with a shopping list that included:
- Plastic folders
- A 64-pack of Crayola Crayons
- A 12-pack of Ticonderoga pencils
- Four notebooks
Finally, they searched for the perfect backpacks. Asher went with a Minecraft theme and Everly chose a purple Jansport.
The Martin family's total at Target was $84.08.
WBZ-TV then researched the items at several other locations, choosing the exact items whenever possible but in a few cases, we had to go with something similar.
Here are the totals:
- Walmart: $94.25
- Staples: $105.92
- Amazon: $126.43
Kate took her rising sophomore, Kayden, to Staples. Her list was a bit longer and some of the items a bit more high-end, like a set of gel pens and a pack of dual highlighter on one end, pen on the other in a multiple colors.
She also bought four single subject wire notebooks, two 3-ring binders, a box of mechanical pencils, a calculator, four plastic folders, and a pack of page marker post-it notes.
Those items came to a total of $122.35 at Staples.
Here is what the same or comparable items came to at other stores:
- Walmart $112.57
- Amazon $104.23
- Target $103.70
There are a couple of things to keep in mind if you are trying to stick within a budget.
Watch the brands your kids choose. Kayden picked some pretty pricey pens and Everly and Asher picked notebooks that were nearly $4 when much cheaper options were available.
Also watch the sales. They can vary week to week or even day to day which can drastically change the totals.