This is the post that Paul (my husband) is posts every year on I Heart The Mart. Since it is my printable list that I made him, I figured that I need it here too! LOL!
This is what Paul says:
“This week we are seeing a LOT more B2S deals! I want to make it as easy as possible for you, and so I did what most smart guys do and had my wife make me a spread sheet like the one she uses each for our kids. So that I can look cool and offer it to you guys to print free. I am really awesome that way :)”
Seriously, it works. We spend about $80 a year on 6 kids school supplies by doing the following:
- Print the FREE Back to School Printable List
- Get your kids school supply lists
- Add the items into the spreadsheet (one sheet for ALL your kids)
- Watch the sales for the next 5-6 weeks
- If it is less then Walmarts price at any store, buy it.
- If it is the same as Walmarts price wait a few weeks and see if it goes lower anywhere
- About a week before your school starts, the things you are still missing, buy them at Walmart
- Cross off items as you get them, so you are not overbuying
That’s it. Easy.
I am going to be posting ANY deal that I find, or that you see and email me, that we can price match at Walmart each week.
- If you buy a little each week you can save a LOT of money.
- Not get stuck right before school spending a bunch of money.
- Don’t wait until the say before and everything is sold out.
This is basically what our sheet looks like. Except that my wife laminates ours (she is just that way) and it is on the fridge.
We combine all the kids supply lists into one sheet. Add the # of each item that we need. If there are certain folder colors they need we make a note. We cross off what we bought. The Walmart prices are listed as a reference in case we are in another store and are wondering if something is a good deal.
There is space at the bottom because I am assuming you might have different items your school is requiring. Or you can always just make one up that works for you better. But this is a method my wife has been using for a long time and it works.
No need to download, go HERE to print yours. Once you are there, just right click and select print to get it.
Let us know if you have a system that works!
Nicole says
This is such a great idea! Thanks for sharing your template, better than flipping the school sheet back and forth.
**FYI – Dollar General has post-it notes 3×3 on sale this week 2/$1 – I am going to use my $2/4 coupon and get 8 for free!!
Thanks for the heads up on the coupon, I never would have printed it without seeing it on your blogs- you guys are the best!!
Anonymous says
Where ate those coupons still available to print and where?
Nicole says
Tiffany had a post on July 7 that gave a link to coupons.com that had 3-3m coupons available at HEB. I don’t think that they are available to print any longer. Sorry 🙁
Debra says
I can’t print the list. Getiting an invalid URL message. Hopefully I can get my 5 back to school with the same great deals you find!
Tiffany says
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1yjafSDixj4Zk9keGppd3djb1E/edit
try that link, let me know if it works for you
Anonymous says
Where are those coupons and are they still available to print?
Tiffany says
Hi! Which coupons to print? The link in this post is for the printable list that you can track your supplies on. YOu can go http://mylitter.com/coupon-database/ to the database and look for any coupons you might need there. There are not always coupons for school supplies, but every now and then you can find, BIC, papermate, uniball etc. Let me know if I can help in any way!
Jackie says
I just did some back to school shopping for myself (as a teacher). I strolled into Office Depot and had fogotten my sale ad 🙁 I asked an associate for one, and he advised me to wait for their sales until around Tax Free Weekend (August 17-ish). That Saturday is teacher appreciation and what he considered “the best time to shop here”.
I still stocked up on Post-Its at Dollar General (2/$1, and bigger than the Wal-Mart $1 ones and used the Sunday 3M/Post-It coupons). And the Bic Mark-Its ($2 coupon), and Paper Mate Ink Joy ($1.50 coupon) from Wal-Mart.
Rachel says
Walgreens: 8pk pencils for $0.39 so 3pks (24 pencils) will be $1.17 (4.875 ea … walmart price 20 for $1.12 is about 5.6 each) I need about 240 pencils so saving almost 1c on each will help!
Index cards $0.39 (not sure if these are lined or not?) Going today to pick some up and see
Post-its 2/$1, can we use the $3/5 for a 50c MM? Might be a free folder or something?
Ashley says
Yay! Just the kind of post I was needing/ looking for 🙂 Thanks!!!!
Rachel says
Forgot to put this on the previous comment and its a good one!
Scotch brand scissors are $1 at Kroger!! Buy 5 and save $3 so $0.40 each! ($3/5 coupon in 7/15/12 or use $1/3, $2/4… how ever many needed)
Breeanna Jezewski says
This is awesome love it
Bethany says
Thank you for this .. just printed mine~!
VB says
I am looking at the drugstore ad scans/preview and comparing the prices of the items I need. I am notating what the lowest price I find which store and which week. Then if a sale happens to come around that beats that then I know to get it. Luckily I had several items in my stash from last years clearance sales and then with the folders erasers, and index cards I bought I am out of pocket $1.50 and have my list half done!!!!