Wichita on the Cheap

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Back to School Supplies and Deals in Wichita

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Its back to school shopping time! We have researched to make it easier for you to find the best deals in Wichita, KS, for school supplies. We went off of USD 259 supply list, but most of the other districts are similar. Even if you don’t have school-age kids, use these sales to stock up on office supplies for around the house. You won’t find better prices all year.

For comparison, when you’re shopping the sales, use our  School Supply Price List as a reference. It lists prices we expect to see, as well as prices we hope to see when there’s a really good sale or coupon.

We recently updated our Tips for Saving on School Supplies. The tips are an accumulation of things we have learned by experience.

Back to School Supplies and Deals

Navigating the labyrinth of back-to-school sales can be a daunting task. Fret not, as our expertly curated sales guide is here to light your way through the aisles of bargains and must-haves, ensuring you kickstart the academic year with all the essentials and more. Below are the top-visited stores for back-to-school shopping along with their most-impressive sales. We will be updating this list as this sale season continues so be sure to check back!

Basic School Supply List

These are the items I’m usually looking for when I shop BTS sales on school supplies:

  • crayons
  • washable markers
  • dry erase markers
  • Sharpie markers
  • highlighters
  • watercolor paints
  • #2 pencils
  • colored pencils
  • pink erasers
  • glue sticks
  • school glue
  • ruler
  • scissors
  • 2-pocket folders
  • 2-pocket folders with prongs
  • pencil box
  • pencil pouch, 3-ring
  • 3-ring binder
  • 2-pocket folders
  • spiral notebook
  • composition notebook
  • notebook filler paper
  • tabbed page dividers for binders
  • sticky notes
  • index cards
  • hand sanitizer
  • paper towels
  • disinfecting wipes
  • facial tissues
  • zipper baggies (sandwich, quart, or gallon size)
  • earbuds, wired
  • scientific calculator
  • graphing calculator
  • backpack
  • gym shoes

Who has the best deals on school supplies this year?

In Wichita, the winner seems to be – no surprise – Walmart. But if you can get your spiral notebooks at Dillons, you’ll save more, because the price of spiral notebooks went up to 45 cents each at Walmart. At Dillons, they’re still 39 cents and the quality is every bit as good.

Sam’s Club has a few deals that are worth considering. Of course, with these you have to be able and willing to purchase in bulk. But if you are, these deals are great.

Back to School Sales in Wichita:

Town East Mall

These are good stores to check for back-to-school sales on clothing, accessories, backpacks.

  • Forever 215
  • Aeropostale
  • Claire’s
  • Hollister
  • JCPenney
  • Old Navy
  • Vans
  • Kids Footlocker
  • Tilly’s

Uptown Cheapskate

  • This is a great store to find gently used clothing.

Walmart

This is a one stop shop and typically one of the cheapest big box stores. Make sure to look for the Pen+ Gear brand when you don’t need name-brand supplies. It is WAY cheaper!

  • Crayola colored pencils or markers $0.97  (best deal)
  • 24 pack Crayola crayons: $0.50
  • Expo dry erase markers, assorted colors, 12-pack for $8.97 (best deal)
  • Sharpie permanent markers, 12 count $7.97 (.60 ea, which is best deal unless you go to Sam’s Club)
  • Pen+Gear ballpoint pens, 10 count $.94 (best deal)
  • Pen+Gear felt tip markers, 24 count $11.44 (best deal)
  • Bic brite liner highlighters, 5 count $1.72 (best deal)
  • Ticonderoga #2 pencils, (.19 ea, which is best deal on this brand unless you go to Sam’s Club)
  • Pen+Gear #2 pencils, 24 count $.97 (best deal)
  • Pen+Gear pink wedge eraser, 2 count $.47 (best deal)
  • Pen+Gear mechanical pencils, 50 count $5.44 (best deal)
  • Pen+Gear cap erasers, 25 count $.47 (best deal)
  • Sterilite small pencil box $.97 (best deal)
  • Pen+Gear binder pouch $.97 (best deal)
  • Pen+Gear filler paper, 150 sheets $.97 (best deal)
  • Pen+Gear composition book $.50 (best deal)
  • Pen+Gear index cards, 3×5 $.72 (best deal)
  • Pen+Gear 3-prong 2-pocket poly folder $.50 (best deal)
  • Pen+Gear paper folder $.25
  • Elmer’s school glue, 4 oz. $.50
  • Elmer’s disappearing glue sticks, 2 count $.50
  • Pen+Gear kid scissors, 2 pack $1.47 (best deal)
  • Great Value quart size slider storage bags, 50 count $4.62 (best deal)
  • Great Value quart size double zipper bags, 50 count $2.48 (best deal)
  • Equate original hand sanitizer, 60 fl oz $7.88 (this is a huge bottle, but the best deal if you need that much)
  • generic stereo earbuds, $1 (I really have a hard time believing that price, but the website says they have them in store)
  • Wonder Nation 16″ backpack $4.98 (several styles to choose from)
  • Last year’s prices:
  • Girls no-show socks 20 pack: $8.98  (best deal)
  • 10 pack Crayola washable markers: $2.47
  • #2 Mechanical Pencils 24 count: $3.97 (best deal)
  • 4 pack highlighters: $2.47 (best deal)
  • 2 Pocket Plastic Folder: $0.15 (best deal)
  • Texas Scientific Calculator: $16 (best deal)
  • Compass and protractor: $1.97 (best deal)
  • Kid scissors: $0.74 (best deal) 
  • Wide-ruled 1 subject notebook: $0.35 (best deal)
  • Backpacks starting at $6 (best deal)
  • Lunch Boxes starting at $5

Target

We usually like Target for deals on essential kids’ clothes, because they usually have some t-shirts for $5 and jeans for $10 at least once during the school-shopping season.

  • Uniform pieces start at $8
  • Lunch Boxes start at $5
  • Summit Ridge kids’ 17″ backpack $5
  • Many, but all, of the name brand school supplies are similar in price to Walmart.
  • Target’s store brand is called Up & Up and is usually similar in quality and price to Pen+Gear at Walmart

Dillons

Dillon’s is a local brand of Kroger grocery store. Dillons’ has been very competitive on school supplies in recent years. This year, its spiral notebooks are a better price than anyone else in town. Unfortunately however, I haven’t seen a whole lot of amazing school supply deals here yet this year.

If you use fuel points, then it might be worth purchasing some of their deals, if they are the same price as other stores. Generally, Dillon’s has switched to “season-long prices” rather than weekly school supply sales.

    • Last year school supply prices at Dillons:
    • Crayola 12ct Kids Colored Pencils: $1.00
    • Crayola Markers 10 pack: $1.00  (best deal)
    • Elmer’s 2pk Washable School Glue Sticks: $1.00
    • Paper Mate 20pk Ballpoint Pens: $1.00  (best deal)
    • Kids scissors: $1.00
    • The office works brand 2-pack gluesticks: $0.29  (best deal)
    • 24 pack Crayola crayons: $0.50
    • All lunchbox icepacks on sale
    • All travel waterbottles on sale
    • 24 pack #2 pencils: $4.00 $3.99
    • Backpacks starting at $10.50
    • Wide-ruled 1 subject notebook: $0.69
    • 2 pocket plastic folder: $0.39
    • 3 large erasers: $1.29 (best deal) 
    • Elmers glue: $0.59  (best deal) 
    • 2-pack shapries: $1.49 (best deal) 

Other Dillions Tips:

  • Check out the Dillions app for more deals.
  • Shopping for school supplies at Dillon’s comes with the extra perk of getting fuel point when you use you Plus Card.
  • This time of year, grocery stores have sales on lunch meat and other school lunch items. Stock up and freeze lunch meat, cheese sticks, and more to have inexpensive lunches for the next few months!

Amazon

An obvious benefit of shopping for school supplies at Amazon is free 2-day shipping right to your door (if you have Prime). But you can also find some deals at Amazon. (The deals change frequently, so keep checking back.)

Amazon prices are subject to change at any time. 

  • Amazon Basics Permanent Markers 24-Pack: $7.20 (best deal)
  • Amazon Basics Index Cards, 1000 count: $6.24  (best deal)
  • 10 pack bic ballpoint pens: $1.29
  • First/Last day of school picture sign: $7.99-$10.99 (Fun idea!)
  • Puma Sling Backpack: $17.00 (50% off!)
  • Puma kids backpacks: $15-$17 ( 25-50% Off!)
  • Minimoo Kids water bottles: $12.79 (20% off)
  • 25 Pairs Kids’ Low Cut Socks :$15.00 

Five Below

Five Below doesn’t always have the best deals on supplies but in previous years had a great selection of backpacks for only $5. The quality was good and they were very on-trend. They also had tons of electronic accessories, organizing supplies, dorm room deals, and nice water bottles, all for great prices. If you have not been to the store it’s worth checking out. I would recommend this store for your larger items like backpacks and electronics accessories.

Sams Club or Costco for Bulk

If you have a membership, you can get a few good school supply deals there. But you will want to pay attention to unit price; not every bulk buy is a better bargain. This year, Sam’s has the best price on Sharpie permanent markers, Scotch invisible tape, copy paper, kid scissors, Ticonderoga pencils, and some 3-ring binders. Those are all only available in bulk. Its Members Mark brand disinfecting wipes are very good and so far are the cheapest ones I’ve found this year.

  • Sam’s Club:
  • Sharpie permanent markers, .40 ea unit price. Pocket highlighter and S-Note Creative Marker, 24 count (Sale ends Aug. 18)
  • Ticonderoga #2 pencils, .12 ea unit price
  • copy paper $3.90 ream unit price
  • 2″ binder $3.75 unit price
  • 3″ binder $6.49 unit price
  • Scotch invisible tape $.05 yard unit price
  • kid scissors $.42 ea unit price
  • Members Mark disinfecting wipes $.035 ea unit price

Walgreens

It won’t surprise regular readers here that Walgreens is one of the best places to get school supplies at a discount – but only when there is a sale. Each week they have something on sale for a crazy low price, and occasionally you may be able to match a coupon with the sale to get a super deal.

Like Dillons, Walgreens has coupons you can load to your card. Look for…

  • coupons for tissues, paper towels, disinfecting wipes, or hand sanitizer
  • dollars off school supplies when you spend a certain amount
  • lunch boxes, backpacks
  • snacks or food for lunches
  • laundry detergent
  • toothpaste, hair brushes, and other personal hygeine items
  • and of course, over the counter first aid items, thermometers, etc.

For most/all of these deals, you will need to get a Walgreens card; it’s free, and you’ll earn points on purchases so it’s worth using it. These are Wexford brand unless otherwise noted.

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26 Responses

  1. Hi Carolyn. Read about your site this morning in the Washington Post. So useful! I buy school supplies every year for two local non-profits in Seattle and we’ve found that backpacks are the biggest expense. For the past 3 years, I’ve been buying coupon discounted backpacks at Costco – high-quality packs made by High Sierra for between $15 and $20 each, with a 10-pack limit per member. It’s a great deal!

    1. Oh, that is a great tip, Caroline. Thank you!

      Yes, backpacks and shoes and sometimes even those graphing calculators (for older kids) can be real budget-busters. So thankful you let us know about the Costco deal.

      I also just found some High Sierra backpacks at TJ Maxx yesterday for $15. (They had other good ones too, but for more $$.) I bought one to donate, but left the rest for parents who are doing their school shopping.

    1. Thanks for the tip, Brian! I checked their circular last week, but forgot to check them again this week. Great to know!

  2. Could you double check that 5$ with the purchase of 30. An 10$ purchase of 50. On school supplies? I just went in an this target does not have that.

    1. Menards does have some good deals! (I’m going to be adding them to the list soon.) But just be sure to check my School Supply Price List though, because I noticed that some of Menards school supplies were MORE than other places, even though they were in the ad as being “on sale.”

      And all stores seem to do that; not just Menards. 🙂

  3. Leekers Family Foods in Valley Center and park City have 5 packs of Bic highlighters and 10 packs mechanical penvies for 97 cents.

  4. Suggest to teachers to have students bring worn out CLEAN 🙂 socks to use for dry erase board erasers instead of tissues.

      1. We use a wash cloth in my class. Tissues are never a good choice! So messy and wasteful.

  5. Hate to be a downer but please note sharpie or any brand “permanent” markers are not allowed at most schools unless given by teacher for specific projects!

    1. That’s okay. I use Sharpies at home for lots of things, so I buy them at this time of year when they’re on sale. Same goes for Scotch tape and some of the other office supplies that aren’t just for the kiddos! 🙂

  6. Just curious about the Walmart Elmer’s Glue Sticks that are $0.25 are those the small or large glue sticks?

  7. I bought expo markers in packs of 4 for $1.77 at Dillons today. Both in black and assorted colors. Great deal!!

      1. That’s what I thought!! I’ll be taking the others I’d bought from Walmart back!! 😉

  8. I bought the 5pack of sharpies for $1 (limit 3) along with a $2 clearance item to meet my $5 minium at Office Depot. $0.20 per full-size black sharpies is an awesome deal.

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