August: Best Time To Shop

August is traditionally the best time of year to purchase school and office supplies, backpacks, laptops, and MP3 players.  Back to college sales will make this month the best time to buy futons, small refrigerators, and other "dorm room" furnishings such as linens, pillows, and storage containers - items nearly anyone may want to purchase.

Back to school also means back to the lunchbox so look for awesome stock up deals on juice boxes, Lunchables and other ready-made kid snacks, cereals, pudding cups, yogurt, chips, snack cakes, cereal/granola bars, fruit snacks, cookies, canned fruit, peanut butter, jelly, lunch meats, cheese slices.  You can also find some great deals on ice cream, soda, bottled water, and iced tea mixes/bags in August.  Waffles and frozen breakfast items will go on sale in August just in time for back to school!

Save money on produce by buying in-season fresh fruits and vegetables.  During August, the best prices can be found on avocados, lettuce, strawberries,  blueberries, apricots, kiwi, raspberries, and plums.   Locally, North Carolinians should be able to find fresh apples, green beans, butter beans, cabbage, cantaloupe, corn, cucumbers, eggplants, muscadines, leafy greens, okra, peaches, peanuts, field peas, peppers, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes, and watermelon at their local farmers markets, farms, roadside stands, and product departments.

Other back to school items to look for during August are tissues, disinfectants, hand sanitizers, and cleaning wipes.

Back to school also means lots of sales on children's clothing in August.  And great clothing clearance on summer clothes like shorts, swimsuits, flip flops, and summer shoes.  Undergarments and socks typically go on sale in August  too.  August is also a great month for sales on women's clothing and accessories including sleepwear belts & scarves.  Retailers want to move the summer items and colors to make space for the upcoming fall line!

By the time the heat of August rolls around, many home improvement and department stores will drop prices by 20% or more on summer items like lawn mowers, grills, outdoor furniture, swing sets, outdoor toys and games, pool supplies, camping equipment, and other outdoor summertime items.

Retail stores will be preparing for Halloween already in August so look for summer clearance sales on sunscreen, insect repellent, swimsuits, shorts, caps, sporting goods, tents, charcoal, flip flops, and water toys.

Target Deals 7/29-8/4

Back to School Deals!

• PaperMate Eagle Ballpoint Pens, 10 ct., 94¢
• -$1 off PaperMate writing instrument (Target coupon), Back to School home mailer
  -$1 off PaperMate writing instrument, (Target coupon) printable
  (makes it FREE)
• Mead Licensed Notebooks, $2
  -$1.50 off Mead, Five Star, Trapper Zipper ot Snap Sewn binders (Target coupon), Back to School home mailer
  -$1.50 off Mead, Five Star, Trapper Zipper ot Snap Sewn binders, (Target coupon) printable
  (makes it 50¢)
• Market Pantry Fruit Snacks, 10 pk., $1.69
   -$1/2 Market Pantry lunchmeat 7-9 oz AND fruit snacks 10 ct., (Target coupon) printable
   -$1 off Market Pantry fruit snacks, 6 or 10 ct. (Target coupon), Back to School home mailer
   -$1 off Market Pantry fruit snacks, 6 or 10 ct., (Target coupon) printable
  (use $1 off, makes it 69¢)
• Mossimo Womens Camis, Tanks, or Tees, $6
  -$3 off Mossimo women’s apparel, excl jewelry, accessories and shoes, (Target coupon) printable
  (makes it $3)

Back to School Deals 7/22-7/28

Here are my top picks for ad week ending July 28, 2012.

• Crayola 12 pk. Colored Pencils, $.99
• Index Cards 100 ct., $.49
• Construction Paper 96 ct., $1.00
• Kids Scissors 2 ct., $1.00
• Pencil Box or Vinyl Pencil Pouch, $.49

• Index Cards 100 ct., $.39

• Office Depot Brand Acrylic Ruler or 6" Protractor, $.10 (limit 3 per household/business)
• 1" Poly Binder, $.40   (limit 3 per household/business)
• Glue Sticks 4 pk., $.50  (limit 3 per household/business)
• SanDisk 8GB Flash Drive, $6.99

Back to School Deals: Office Depot, Office Max, & Staples 7/15 - 7/21

The best back-to-school and office supply deals for this week 7/15-7/21.  Even better school supply deals will be coming as we get closer and closer to the start date!  Be sure to check out the the Back-To-School Stock Up Price List HERE!

Office Depot

• Office Depot 2-Pocket Folders with and without Prongs, 10¢
• tug Pencil Sharpener, 10¢
• FORAY Rollerball & Porous Point Single Pens, 50¢
• Crayola Crayons, 24 ct., 50¢
• (no coupons needed!)
• *Be sure you have your Office Depot Rewards card!

Office Max

• Purell Hand Sanitizer, 0.5 oz, 10¢

-$1/3 Purell product PRINTABLE
-$1/3 Purell product PRINTABLE

• Just Basics Assorted, Blue, Black or Purple Ballpoint Pens, 10 pk., 25¢
• Really Useful 0.14 Liter Storage Box, 50¢
• Schoolio 1″ or 1.5″ Poly 3-Ring Binder, $1
• Office Max Glue Bottle or Glue Bottle and 5″ Scissors Combo Pack, $1
• FREE Kingston 8GB DataTraveler USB Flash Drive WYB$50 or more in National Brand Ink

Staples

• BIC Matic Grip 0.7 mm Mechanical Pencils, 5 pk., $4.29

-$4.29 easy rebate
(makes it FREE)

• Staples 8.5″x11″ writing pad, 1¢ with $5 minimum purchase
• Avery Durable 1″ Binder, 1¢ with $5 minimum purchase
• BIC Velocity Retractable Ballpoint Pens, 2 pk., 25¢ 
• Staples Translucent Pencil Box, 50¢ 
• Staples Multipurpose Paper, 8.5×11, 1 Ream, $6.99

-$5.99 easy rebate
(makes it $1) 

• Staples Photo Supreme 8.5″x11″ paper, 50 pk., $14.99

-$13.99 easy rebate
(makes it $1) 

• Staples Translucent Plastic Clipboard, $1 
• Staples Remarx Dry Erase Markers, 6 pk., $1 

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Back-To-School Stock Up Prices

Thank you to My Frugal Adventures for sharing this list I have posted!  Please be sure to check them out!

Use this list as a guide to know when to stock up on these supplies.  Only 46 more days till the kids go back to school! ;-)

::Art Supplies.

• Crayola Crayons 24ct $.25-.50
• *Usually Toys R Us will offer Crayola 4/$1 a few times. Roseart crayons are typically .25 per box or even less.
• Crayola 10ct Markers $.99
• Crayola Washable Markers $1.50
• Crayola 12ct Colored Pencils $.99
• Crayola Washable Crayons 24ct $1.50
• Watercolors 8ct $.99
• School Glue $.15-.50
• Glue Sticks $.50

::Pens, pencils and highlighters.

• 12ct Pencils (generic brand) $.25
• *Some schools require Ticonderoga and those are considerably more expensive.
• 5pk Mechanical Pencils $.50
• Sharpie Highlighters $.50
• Sharpie Markers- singles $.50
• Sharpie 8pks $3.99
• Sharpie Black 2pk Markers $.50
• Dry Erase Markers 4pk $.50
• Bic Ballpoint Pens $.50

::Other Supplies.

• Two Pocket Folders $.01-.15
• Scissors $.49
• Rulers $.25
• Composition Books $.25
• Spiral Notebooks $.10
• Binders- 1″ Economy $1.00
• Filler Paper 150 sheets $.75
• Pencil Sharpeners $.39
• Scotch Tape $.50
• Index Cards $.49-1.00
• Construction Paper $1.50-1.75
• Sheet Protectors $.50
• Pencil Boxes $.49

As far as backpacks, we typically see a free after rewards offer on these from the office supply stores.  For a nicer backpack, about $13-$15 is a good price.  Usually Target will offer backpacks around $6-9 and lunchsacks as low as $3.00. For small children, Toys R Us will usually offer an ongoing deal to get a free lunchsack with purchase of a backpack.