I love this time of year. I love seeing fresh notebooks, sharp crayons, and little pencil boxes. I haven’t been in school (aside from my former job) in 10 years, and my kids are nowhere near old enough for school, and yet, I still LOVE school supplies.

That’s why I love this time of year. It’s a great time to get super cheap pens, pencils, glue sticks, and erasers. I’ve seen notebooks for 5 cents each, and boxes of pencils for 25 cents. There are also good sales on hand sanitizer, organizers, facial tissue, and big ticket items like computers and printers.

Think you don’t need school supplies? Think again:


Plan ahead for other projects. Acid free glue sticks can help you whip together scrapbooking projects or homemade greeting cards. Notebooks are great for keeping track of ideas, such as money-saving tips, or for making lists.

Make a gift basket. Gather up markers, crayons, glue, colored pencils, paper, rulers, and other cool, inexpensive school supplies into a gift basket for a creative child. These baskets can make great birthday or Christmas gifts… or just a great surprise on a rainy day. You could put some homemade playdough in the basket to really bring out the creativity. And don’t forget your new college student. Many homesick freshmen appreciate being able to revert to their inner child every once in awhile!

Donate the items to a worthy cause. Many groups gather donated school supplies for needy children. School teachers also appreciate extra items like facial tissue or pencils. And don’t forget your community: Many non-profit organizations would appreciate donations of office supplies.

This is the first in a series of posts for Back to School week at Northern Cheapskate. Join me tomorrow as I explore other ways to save on all things school-related!