10 Best Back to School Supplies From The Dollar Tree

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The start of another school year is just around the corner and whether you are a homeschooler or send your kids to public/private school your kids will still need to stock up on school supplies. Every year I clean out our craft cupboard and toss out all the stubby, eraser-less leftover pencils, dried up markers, empty bottles of glue and dried glue sticks and used up notebooks. Whew, it's a lot of work!

I love making room for our new supplies as well as making a mental inventory on what we need to purchase. One way homeschooling is similar to public school is that both require students to have the supplies they need in order to do their school work.

With 4 kids it is easy to blow the budget on school supplies but I have found a few tricks to help save a little money that I want to share with you.

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 Tips For Saving Money On Back To School Supplies

Timing is everything right? Well when it comes to school supplies this is very true! Many large retailers count on the sales of back to school supplies so they offer super discounted prices on some smaller items like crayons, bottles of glue and pencils hoping that you will pick up a few regular priced items like binders, backpacks and lunchboxes. Make sure you shop these deals on the basics when the stores posts them for sale!

Another tip to save some cash is to make a list and stick to it! It can be very tempting to toss a few items not on your list into your cart but by the time you make it to the checkout lane your budget is blown.

Lastly, don't forget your local Dollar Tree! This store is a treasure trove of school supplies that will help you save some big bucks on back to school supplies. Price shop to make sure the items from the Dollar Tree are in fact cheaper than other stores. Speaking of the Dollar Tree, here are my top 10 items to pick up from the Dollar Tree.

Top 10 Back to School Supplies from the Dollar Tree:

pencils

If your kids are like mine they tear through pencils like little beavers! Before I know it we have a pile of stubby pencils with no erasers that no one wants to use. I like to buy several packs from the Dollar Tree so I am ready to replace broken or worn out pencils.

notebooks

I require my kids to have a single subject notebook for most subjects. I have found that this help us stay organized and it is less confusing for me as their teacher to find their finished assignments if the work is done in separate notebooks by subject. They don't need anything fancy just practical and that is why I buy them at the Dollar Tree.

scissors

Crafting scissors quickly get gummed up with glue and other sticky things so buying a bunch of cheap scissors is the way to go in our house. My kids are constantly crafting something so it is nice to have scissors handy.

crayons and colored pencils

With the amount of crafting that takes place in my house I must have replacement crayons, markers and colored pencils available at all times. These are essential tools for the budding artist and student.

folders

I have found that no matter what kind of folders I buy, expensive or cheap, they both take a beating throughout the school year. I used to cringe everytime my kids asked to have a new folder because the (expensive) one they just destroyed needed to be replaced. Now I just stock up on extra ones from Dollar Tree and have found they last just as long as the ones I used to buy that were more expensive.

We use folders as an organizational tool in our 3 ring binders by subject. Loose leaf papers that are still being worked on or other unfinished work goes in these binders. Also, if we are schooling on the road (a.k.a. in the car driving from one activity to another) it is much easier to take the small folder with us rather than the whole 3 ring binder.

paper

Loose leaf paper, construction paper and sketch pads are expensive if you pay full price at the store. I found that I can get these supplies right at the Dollar Tree for a fraction of the cost. I can even buy one for each of the kids from Dollar Tree and still not come close to the cost I would pay at other stories.

glue

Do your kids make slime? We seem to have a regular ole' slime factory happening over here at my house! I allow the kids to do something quiet while I read aloud to them and one of their favorite things to do during this time is to play with slime. If you miss the back to school sales that most stores have before school starts, don't worry the Dollar Tree always has a great supply of glue, tape and glue sticks all for $1 all year round!

antibacterial wipes

Back to school usually means back to germs even if you are like us and homeschool. Getting sick during the school year is no fun - it's no fun anytime of the year! As a mom I try to battle the germs by wiping down surfaces like doorknobs, railings, tables and toys regularly with antibacterial wipes. Healthy kids are happy kids!

tissue / Kleenex

I keep a box (or 2) of tissues in our car since we are out and about quite a bit during the school year. Even when the kids are healthy we seem to go through quite a few boxes of tissues on a regular basis. This can add up quickly so I try to reduce the amount we spend by shopping smart and that means picking up my tissue boxes at Dollar Tree.

storage bins

Storage bins of all shapes and sizes are a great tool to keep you and your students organized this year. Instead of loose papers falling out of stacks use a bin to keep them all in one place in a neat pile. You can even have one bin assigned to each child and write their name on the front of the bins! An affordable and helpful solution to staying organized!

I hope your school year gets off to a great start! Hopefully these ideas will help you prepare for the start of your school year. If you found some other great Must Have supplies from the Dollar Tree leave a comment - I'd love to hear from you!